Two Knight's Defense
by Closet Adventuralist
Summary: The fifth story in the Guardians series...Five years after the events of Castle the King, Jane encounters the Aether. Darcy takes it upon herself to undertake a mission that crosses realms in order to save her friend. With Loki by her side, she searches for the Earth Mother, the only being in the universe capable of combating the Aether's chaos.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay guys, here is the next story in the Guardians Series. Woohoo!**

**This one is not really a full length story as my others have been, but more of a novella-a bridge from Castle the King to the next part of the...would this be a saga by now? **

**The story is set five years following Castle the King. Darcy is a little bit more grounded (I hope) and I'm looking at how their relationship may have developed in the meantime and where it is going to go. We pick up right at the beginning of the events of Thor: The Dark World, but that's pretty much the only thing that is really part of the canon. **

**I do hope you enjoy.**

**-CA**

Darcy spent half an hour trying to convince a policeman that she wasn't completely insane and another half hour arguing with August about the merits of knocking said officer out while they canvassed the area with magic. Though Darcy was taller and had more weight to throw around, August was clearly the powerhouse of the two. Without a doubt, August could knock Darcy into her literal next week and then some. Still, reason had eventually won out in the end and Darcy was able to keep August from doing anything more than glaring at the police officers as they went about securing the area.

Jane had been missing for far too long and Darcy had long since begun to worry about her friend and sort-of-boss. Though she was a genius, Jane had a way of forgetting the world around her, bumping into telephone poles and falling up stairs while working on calculations. Her mind was always somewhere else and Darcy was concerned that her absentmindedness had finally taken its toll and gotten her seriously hurt. Darcy could see Jane lying with a broken ankle after a fall or trapped behind a fallen wall—all situations that were entirely possible, given her track record for dropping into the impossible and somehow getting far too involved.

So, it was with mild (read: a lot of) frustration that Darcy stomped up to Jane and demanded to know where she'd disappeared to for so damn long. Her friend seemed off, dazed and not a little confused. Glassy eyed, Jane looked as if she'd taken a substantial head injury while she was gone and Darcy was just about to call the paramedics when thunder sounded from every angle. Growling a little at the rain, Darcy was about to launch into a well rehearsed rant when Jane's focus got even hazier. Following the line of Jane's vision, Darcy took in the sight of Thor watching from a distance. She sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get anything coherent from her for a while. Working her jaw, Darcy watched as Jane approached the thunder god. Thor looked tired, concerned, but alert for danger. Darcy hoped he'd stay long enough that she could get the latest scoop from Asgard.

As the rain pelted her from above, Darcy sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, her mild frustration taking on a resigned hue. Then, she glanced around, looking for a dark head of hair and cheekbones that could cut glass. Loki had been gone for almost two weeks, his last visit an overnight between meetings with his father's council and whatever else gods did while at their ancestral homes. She remembered how tired he looked, almost as tired as when she first met him, had first invited him into the love nest in Tony's living room. Asgard was hesitant to declare Midgard a protected land despite Thor's advocacy for the cause. They had little interest in developing relations between the two worlds. Darcy literally couldn't care less about their politics, as long as they didn't go the way of every sci-fi movie and decide on outer realm domination.

Loki, himself, was unwilling to be dragged into the argument, but again Thor insisted. He sat every day by his brother's side as leaders of their home world debated whether or not to share the secrets of the universe with beings they considered below them. And, since both brothers were currently either married or dating one of those low beings, the conversations could get rather heated. Darcy could imagine the little games Loki would play with them, talking them through their own arguments and leading them right into the gaping holes. She wanted to be present for every zinger he sent their way, every biting sarcastic comment that stopped them cold.

Mouth falling into a frown, Darcy realized that Loki was nowhere to be seen. She tucked her chin into her chest and pretended that she wasn't hurt by it. The low feeling in her gut lurched when a loud crack whipped through the area. Darcy looked up to see an officer laying several feet from Jane, apparently thrown to the ground with not a little force. Her magic sparked with the danger, unfurling as a protective measure. It reached out tentatively, recoiling at the electric sensation saturating the air. In the atmosphere, she could taste something dark lingering. It was acrid and sour, tasting like the smell of bleach. Darcy wanted to spit.

Without preamble, Jane was whisked away on the rainbow bridge, leaving the mark of Asgard in her wake.

"Balls," Darcy breathed, wondering just how she was going to get back to Stark Tower now that her ride, and the keys, were MIA.

Digging her boot into the dirt, Darcy bounced a little before forcing a smile onto her face. She turned to regard August and Belinda huddling under an umbrella. Belinda had pulled her hood up to cover her hair, August stood defiantly damp.

"Suppose we should pack up and head home," Darcy said, wiping her glasses on the sleeve of her jacket.

August looked up at the sky, "Mind tellin' me what in the hell that was?"

"Rainbow bridge, dude," Darcy quipped. "Like a wormhole in space. It's the only way to Asgard from here."

After a moment of pondering, August shrugged and looked to Belinda. The girl was probably the meekest of the bunch and Darcy hadn't really heard more than a few words from her. But, her work was excellent, more than excellent. Not one of the myriad of staff persons in the building could recall and assimilate information like Belinda could. Darcy was prone to think that, underneath that timid face was a girl who had the potential to either be a superhero or an evil genius. She was reserving judgment for when Belinda finally cracked through her shell.

Back at the tower, the three separated ways and Darcy took the elevator down to one of the lower levels. The tunnels were still pretty creepy but if the lights were working properly she could just manage to keep the heebee jeebees at bay. In the last five years, Darcy had developed her magic to the point where she could kick some serious ass, but their enemies had been known to border on the superhuman and she didn't like to take chances. Loki often said that she was a magnet for danger and that he would like to keep her locked away on Asgard. Darcy liked to counter that she could take care of herself, thank you very much, and that she still carried her taser just in case.

The lab was quiet, for once, the amigos of science hunched over some kind of laser. Darcy smirked at them as she approached, pulling her hair back and away in case of fire. Explosives, more often than not, were par for the course for Tony despite Dr. Banner's repeated attempts to direct his friend's attentions elsewhere. Granted, Tony had used Guardian power to develop the walls of the lab—they could resist all but the most powerful spells and explosions.

"New project?"

Dr. Banner looked up from above his glasses, "Sort of."

Tony was concentrated on calibrating the device, a tiny wrench in his nimble hands. Darcy peered closer, trying to work out what they were doing.

"Alright," Tony said, leaning back. "Show time."

Darcy hopped away, ready for anything. She then spotted a glass canister at the far end of what looked like a runway. Upon closer inspection, Darcy saw that the canister was filled with dry noodles in water. They were making lunch.

"Don't you guys have anything better to do?" She laughed, folding her arms across her chest.

Tony smirked, "With our slave driver off on a second honeymoon, we mice will play."

"Hey," Darcy barked, pushing her glasses up her nose, "Just because Jane is dedicated doesn't mean she is a slave driver."

Dedicated did not nearly do justice to the level of work Jane put in on a daily basis. She could go for days working on a hunch, sleep less than two hours at a time, build the components to a trans-dimensional highway. She could also completely miss the sarcasm reverberating in every word of Darcy's gentle reprimands and forget to eat. Director Fury paid Darcy to make sure one of his scientists didn't completely collapse from exhaustion. For the last five years, she had been able to see what every conspiracy theorist would cream their pants to get a look at—she had fought evil, and won. Take _that_ college professor who didn't think she would amount to anything.

The laser was turned on and the pasta was heated from a distance, Dr. Banner keeping time on his watch. He gave a little wave of his hand and Tony powered down the machine, leaning over to observe the results.

Thinking that they looked adorable perched over their experiment, Darcy commented, "Even college students aren't this desperate to get noodles."

Dr. Banner put on his glasses, squinting into the container, "It's for science, Darcy."

She scoffed, "Yes. For science."

Upon receiving a censuring look from he who could be considered the most dangerous man in the world, Darcy held up her hands in defeat and dropped her gaze. It was better not to antagonize them while they were experimenting. Doing so was a surefire way to get pulled into their shenanigans and Darcy learned long ago that shenanigans could result in burned hair and an emergency visit to the hair salon. While they commiserated over cooking times, Darcy sat at her computer and drew up the latest data. She pulled up Excel and started to run the information through the formulas to create the charts Coulson always seemed to want. The guy was still the biggest badass agent Darcy had ever seen, but he was pretty damn particular about color schemes. She hadn't commented, but asked Claire later what their décor was like. Claire, in her usually diplomatic manner, had said that they were rarely home enough to warrant decorating. Darcy made it a point to ask occasionally how the paint was coming and was surprised Coulson hadn't caught on.

Data entry was not her favorite part of the job, but it occupied her mind that she didn't feel the first tingle. In fact, it wasn't until her body rocked with a full on vibration that Darcy shot straight out of her chair. She leaned over the desk to sign out and rushed from the lab, her feet stomping over the ground on a mission. The elevator took too long and so she took the stairs two at a time until she was pushing through the door to her living quarters. Her fingers struggled to tap out the security key on the key pad and her hands were clumsy with the keychain. But, eventually, and with breathless, hopeful anticipation, Darcy was able to fly through the door to her…empty apartment.

Cocking out a hip, Darcy regarded the space, reaching out with her consciousness to see if she had been wrong. There was no indication that he was currently or had been recently in the room. His coat was nowhere to be seen, no swaths of armor tucked into the corners. The lights weren't on. Darcy sighed and rubbed the beading sweat from her brow, reaching back to close the door behind her.

Instead of the cool wood of the door, Darcy's hand connected with soft wool and a lean, hard body. Turning, her expression brightened as she found Loki standing behind her, smirking.

"Hello," he said in greeting.

Darcy flung herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck, nose buried into his shoulder to pull in the familiar scent. She squeezed, feeling him pull her closer and lift her so that her feet no longer touched the ground.

"Too long," she ground out into the fabric of his shirt.

Loki chuckled, setting her back down, "I agree. But, negotiations are not always set to a schedule."

He was wearing a soft gray sweater, dark jeans, and sneakers, hair brushed away from his face. Even though he'd adopted some of the fashion of her world, Loki still looked otherworldly. She guessed that it had something to do with the too bright glint in his eyes and the way he could glide across a room effortlessly. And the occasional magic he threw out just for the hell of it.

Darcy could tell that he was tired, but his skin was still pale and beautiful, his posture regal as befitting his title. She pulled him by his hands deeper into the room, pushing him down onto the couch so that she could climb into his lap.

"Any chance they'll just give up?"

Loki shook his head, hands already slipping under her thighs and around her waist, "No. The Allfather's closest council is also composed of the oldest living Asgardians. They remember when Midgard was young and treacherous, too volatile to trust to its own devices."

"Better than the old fogies shaking their canes," Darcy murmured, not in the least bit irritated at the fact that despite millennia of progress Earth was still the baby in the family. Being the baby had its advantages.

"Indeed," Loki replied in that tone of voice that told her he had an opinion but didn't think it prudent to share.

They often disagreed about the differences between their races, humans the foolish younger sibling of the proud and ancient Asgardians. There was never a real resolution, just intense debate followed by frustrated exclamations and, usually, incredible sex. Darcy secretly brought up the subject on occasion, just to see how far she could push it. Loki was intelligent, perceptive, devious, but he never turned down an opportunity to debate with her and he certainly never turned down an opportunity to get into her pants.

"Did you see Jane?"

Loki glanced down at her, his eyes guarded, "Yes. That is why I came."

Darcy, seeing his expression turn softer, urged, "Well?"

"She is ill," he began, running a soothing hand down her arm. "What was it that you were looking for just before Thor arrived?"

Darcy, taking her sickness to be from interplanetary travel, answered, "I bet the Rainbow Bridge isn't as smooth as she thought." Then, "We were getting these weird readings and Claire sent us to check it out."

Loki lifted a brow, "What kind of readings?"

"Oh, you know," she sighed, "Spikes in electromagnetic fields and gravitational disturbances and a few things I can even pronounce. Why?"

He took her hand, threading his fingers through hers. Darcy leaned back away from him to get the full spectrum of his gaze, trying to read him. She repeated her question.

"Jane is ill, as I have mentioned. Something is inside her, something we thought was long destroyed."

Darcy had to work to keep from freaking out, knowing that more often than not these sort of things could be cured with a little magic and a lot of orange juice. She squeezed his hand, wordlessly asking him to continue.

"Long before your kind came into existence, there was a population of beings called Dark Elves. They lived in darkness, worked magic the likes of which haven't been seen since their eradication by Asgard. In their wake, they left a weapon. The Aether."

Darcy sounded the word out in her head, thinking that it sounded like one of those mixed drinks that bartenders set on fire.

Loki looked up, as if remembering the words from one of the huge tomes he sometimes read next to her in bed, "It is chaos made physical. It is a force that has the power to destroy whole worlds. And it is killing Jane."

She was immediately standing and rushing over to her backpack, turning it over and emptying the contents. Flying to her closet, Darcy stuffed the bare essentials into the pack, sliding her tablet and make up bag on top. Slinging the pack over her shoulder, she regarded Loki with a firm gaze.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

Loki stood and smiled at her thinly, "We have our best healers working on her."

"Don't. Care." She pronounced through her teeth. "Let's go."

Knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, Loki relented and Darcy threw up a triumphant fist, her triumph minimized by the anxiety over Jane. She was getting her way, so her fears were placated somewhat, but there was going to be no delay in seeing her friend.

As Loki pull her closer by her hips, Darcy smiled, "I don't know why you even argue with me when it comes to these sorts of things."

His returning smile was filled with a mixture of love of mischief, "You love it when I argue."

"Only because you're sexy when you're being devious," Darcy replied, running her hands up his chest to hook around his neck.

"I only seek to please," he replied, "You should hold on."

Without warning, Darcy was vaulted so violently that her stomach threatened to turn inside out. She squeezed to Loki's body with all her might, eyes shut tight against the blaze of light blossoming around them. The ground beneath her feet fell away, the world she knew so well fell away. And then all was still. The air, which sizzled across her skin, was at rest and Darcy could once again breathe. She loosened her hold, surprised to find that Loki was holding her several inches above the ground.

He let her down, but stayed close, observing her intently. Darcy blinked, aware that they were standing in a room that was wholly unfamiliar. Yet, when she turned to examine it, there were things that she found she knew. Tomes that had once littered her floors were stacked on a desk made of a heavy, dark wood. The helmet which had terrified millions was perched on a stand next to a set of wicked looking knives. The décor was swanky, but more reserved than her previous visit, greens, browns, and ambers floating in and out of the color scheme.

"You changed rooms," Darcy murmured to herself.

Beside her, Loki nodded, "I thought it might be best to drop your things off before visiting Dr. Foster."

The mention of Jane had Darcy dropping her bag on the cushion of a large, plush couch that she would enjoy testing the dimensions for the best fit later. She turned and made a motion with her hands.

"I dropped off my bag," she announced. "Let's go see what kind of trouble Jane's gotten into now."

Jane had, in fact, gotten into a veritable heap of trouble. Darcy walked with her, noting the pallid tone in her skin, the slightly sluggish gears of her usually quick mind. Thor hovered around her as if she would break at the slightest provocation. It was Loki's expression that worried her most. His face was still as stone, his jaw set against some unnamed thing. She knew that look, knew that he was hiding some kind of forbidden secret—a secret that did not bode well for her friend.

They moved as a group into an inner chamber, the halls darkened. Darcy felt her body go on the defensive, the architecture a special kind of creepy. Low arches and high columns made the ceiling seem vast and the dark shadows endless. She kept near Loki, finding comfort in his sauntering gait. The hallway opened to a large room that looked like some kind of meeting room, a stone table dominating the space.

At the opposite end of the table stood a man wearing armor that gleamed in the low light. Pale hair, pale skin, and, to Darcy's amusement, a metallic eye patch in the same color as his armor. She fought to keep the smile off her face, the gravity of the situation sinking in as the pale haired man dropped a massive book onto the table in front of them.

Loki leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Odin Allfather."

Her brows hit her hairline and Darcy reflexively pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She hadn't seen him up close at the ceremony, though the eye patch should have been a dead giveaway. It was a testament to the events of the last five years that such an imposing figure could be swept from her immediate memory. Impatiently, she listened as he told a story about dark creatures they called Elves and their weapon called the Aether. He talked about the power it held, the chaos it could create, and how they had fought a massive war to keep their darkness at bay. Like the Guardians, Asgard worked to keep a balance between light and dark, protecting not only their own people, but the rest of the universe. In the telling of the story, Darcy gathered that the Dark Elves were some seriously badass opponents. Their magic was legend, as was their ruthlessness.

Jane, in her usual danger prone way, had somehow absorbed the power of the Aether, and it was killing her in the process. Like some kind of parasite, it was eating her from the inside out, draining the life out of her. Darcy shivered despite the fact that it was pretty warm in the room, the summer of Asgard near constant. It seemed that the tables had turned, where once Darcy was touched by darkness, now Jane was being grabbed at from planets away. Resolute, Darcy decided that she would help get the weapon out of Jane, no matter what she had to do.

After Odin gave one last ominous declaration about how the Aether and any remaining Elves needed to be eradicated, Darcy was led out of the room and into the light. Thor and Jane drifted off to speak privately while Darcy continued to worry. She pulled at her hair, leaning on the low stone wall as she watched her friend with the one she loved. Jane was taking the news exceptionally well, looking unruffled by the fact that she was housing literal death inside her. Darcy squinted, wondering if the Aether had somehow addled her already wonky mind.

"We have faced this enemy before," Loki said, resting on his elbows next to her.

Darcy glanced at him, "Yeah, but Jane isn't Asgardian. And she doesn't have magic like mine to protect herself."

He tilted his head to the side, "She has Thor to help her fight. And you to stand beside her."

"This is different."

Taking her hand, Loki pulled her into his side, "No different than defeating demons."

Darcy shook her head, "This feels different. This feels like… like it won't be enough."

A tall, regal figure took her attention, blonde hair and startlingly piercing eyes that seemed to see everything. She approached Thor and Jane with a smile and even from a distance Darcy could see Jane having an internal panic attack. Flustered and blushing, Jane spoken to the woman, who continued to smile warmly at the pair. A memory from almost five years previous moved to the front of her consciousness and she recognized the face. Frigga had not changed, still filled the air with her presence, still pulsed with knowledge and magic. Then, with barely a hint of movement, Darcy caught the woman's stare. It struck her physically and she could feel her internal magical core rise to greet the gaze.

Moving with liquid grace, the woman beckoned Darcy forward. She could feel Loki's hand tighten around her fingers and it occurred to her that, while she had been in Frigga's presence during the wedding, they hadn't actually exchanged words. With their relationship so new at the time, Darcy hadn't wanted to announce it so publically. Loki's mother knew, of course, but diplomacy and a mother's intuition had kept her from broaching the subject in Darcy's presence.

"My son," Frigga said in a tone that pronounced her love more deeply than any words.

Loki greeted his mother with a nod, allowing himself to be held briefly. Darcy could see that he was keeping watch on the people milling through the halls, checking for stares and the notice of others. She wondered if this was out of reflex, a habit borne out of years spent keeping an eye on his surroundings, keeping watch for danger. With a mother like Frigga, Darcy couldn't imagine that Loki would need to protect himself. One stern glance from her would have been enough to stop a hoard of gremlins in their tracks.

"And Darcy," Frigga added, taking her hand.

A small amount of magic moved fleetingly up her arm, a greeting between fellow spell workers. Darcy returned the unspoken salutation.

"It is good to see you again. You have been away too long."

The second part was said with a meaningful glance to Loki. He had the good sense to look down and away. Darcy smiled and gave a little nod, her eyes drifting back to Jane. The warm light of Asgard suited her. She looked more alive here than she had on earth despite the fact that she was on her way to death. Thor had obviously arranged for her to get some new clothes and, Darcy had to say, Jane was rocking the Asgardian fashion. She looked so comfortable in the chest plate and draping fabrics, where Darcy knew she would be tripping over herself. Frigga drew her attention, moving smoothly between the couples.

"Supper will be served shortly," she announced. "And then we will talk strategy. I want no worried faces at the table."

Her pronouncement might have been heeded if a dark shape hadn't sprung from the rolling clouds, slamming into the side of the building. Thin, metallic, and thoroughly alien, Darcy watched it slide through an opening a floor above, fire bursting outwards. Loki bent over her, shielding her body from the falling debris. She clung to him, jaw dropping in shock.

"Shit," Darcy breathed as she was huddled inside.

Thor was immediately on guard, hammer in hand. Loki, after having made sure she was secure, moved to stand next to his brother. Frigga, warrior queen that she was, burst into action right along with them.

"Come with me."

Darcy hustled along behind Jane through halls that twisted and turned. Frigga's blonde hair swayed with her heavy stride, Jane's robes billowing out. From an outside perspective, they probably both looked like heroines rushing into battle. In comparison, Darcy probably looked like the jackass that kept getting in the way. She ran into a few people as she worked to follow Frigga's longer gait, until they were turning a corner and pushing through a heavy set of doors.

Once inside, Frigga closed the doors and bolted them with a precision borne out of practice.

"Now, I want you to do exactly as I say," she whispered hoarsely. "No deviations. The elves will be coming and they will not take you."

Darcy nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for orders. Jane would be hidden away in a back room, a double brought to life by a quick spell. Darcy would wait with Jane, a last line of defense. As she spoke, Frigga took a lock of Jane's hair and severed it with a sharp knife, throwing it into a large bowl. She poured from the line of crystal vials sitting on a silver tray, reaching over to grasp a candle. With a little blow, the flame pulsed to life and the whole mixture was set ablaze. Frigga waved a hand over the smoke, fanning it in Jane's direction. After a moment, a form began to appear in the rapidly growing fog. Another Jane looked out with the same eyes, the same face.

For the second time, Darcy stood agog at the happenings around her, "That is awesome. You have to teach me how to do that."

Frigga's smile was intuitive and pleased, "Another time, dear. Now, away with you."

Ushered into an alcove protected by a heavy curtain, Darcy stood next to the real Jane, breathing deeply. From all around the sounded of a fight rocketed through the palace. Walls that looked solid enough to withstand an earthquake shook, elegant golden light chandeliers swung back and forth with the momentum. Darcy instinctively drew out a protection circle, the familiar glyphs giving her a little bit of comfort.

"This is so bad," she breathed.

Jane nodded, "This is really bad."

"This is worse than the first time."

"Yep, definitely worse."

Darcy looked to her friend, "If I go down, you have to get out."

Jane's expression hardened, "I'm not going anywhere without you."

Turning, Darcy grabbed Jane by the shoulders, "Were you listening in there? If those Tolkein knock offs get a hold of the thing fucking up your insides, the whole universe is gonna, like, explode."

Hands sliding around Darcy's wrists, Jane set her jaw, "Together, like always."

The time for talking ended when the sound of the doors being forced open echoed into their little alcove. Darcy strained to hear the conversation before the clang of metal against metal sounded. Feet danced around on the stone floors, air whipped from clothing, weapons, hair. Darcy pressed her hand to the corner, peering out through a crack in the curtain. Frigga was one badass motherfucking queen, and she just kept getting better by the second. Not only was she swinging the blade around with finesse, she was just as good as the Dark Elf acting as the aggressor and her opponent.

A big guy in the back caught her attention. Stony and massive, he sat like a total creeper watching the fight. While Frigga was busy knocking the Dark Elf on his ass, she sent a little spell to knock Creeper Stone Guy on his. He hit the ground with a resounding thud, drawing the Dark Elf's attention for just long enough that Frigga got him on his knees with her blade against his neck. Creeper got up and Darcy could see that he was advancing on Frigga too fast for her to deal with both adversaries.

Decision made, Darcy threw herself into the fight, dropping spells with rapid succession and filling the room with her power. From the floor, the Dark Elf rose and Darcy could feel his own power shift and tumble. It radiated from him, gathering in a coil that had Darcy backing away a few steps in fear. He was furious, mouth turned down as he took a step towards her.

From the far door, footsteps sounded and Thor's hammer flew through room to hit the Dark Elf at his hips, sending him sprawling. It swerved to smash right into the Stone Creeper, holding him to the wall with all of its strange magical power.

"Talk about timing," Darcy quipped, hands still up in case the palest man she had ever seen thought to strike out again.

Behind his son, Odin strode into the room, sneer on his lips, "Malekith."

"Allfather," the elf replied with just enough sarcasm that Darcy could make an educated guess at bad blood.

Loki ran into the room, taking in the scene, his eyes immediately finding Darcy and looking for injuries. She gave a little nod to signal that she was fine, her focus still on their enemies.

Odin drew to his full height, "Once again you have failed."

Malekith's eyes were filled with icy hate, "The vessel is dying. Even I can see she fades."

The vessel in question was actually an illusion, but the real Jane was not far away. Thor had sought her out, running his hands over his wife's skin. Jane gave him low assurances, her nervous eyes flicking around the room.

Thor looked to Malekith, "You will tell us how to save her."

"Of course," Malekith replied, hands balling into fists. "I will save her myself… I will take the Aether from her."

Odin's growl was audible, "You will not."

"Father," Thor ventured, confusion clearly written across his face.

With barely a hesitation, Odin approached the elf still kneeling on the floor, "He would take the Aether into himself. He would turn himself into the ultimate weapon."

Darcy watched him lean down, as if to examine Malekith more closely.

"You cannot control it," Odin intoned sagely. "It would tear you apart just the same. As it tore your planet apart, as it destroyed your people."  
>If he hadn't just tried to kill the Asgardian queen, Darcy might have been impressed by the way in which the elf defiantly held Odin's stare. Malekith held himself upright, appearing much taller than any kneeling man might. Darcy reached out tentatively with her power, finding solid walls where before she had felt the electricity of his magic. He had closed up tightly, possibly in an effort to protect himself.<p>

Thor stepped forward, "There must be another way."

Loki shifted, reminding the room that he was still present, "There is."

All eyes turned to the sorcerer, Darcy craning her neck to look up at him.

Frigga smiled, pride filling her expression, "Tell us."

Eyes lifting to the ceiling, Loki recited as if by rote memory, "A cask can be controlled by those in the bloodline of its maker. In the absence of such a being, an Earth Mother can be called to bind a coven of sorcerers together and to subjugate the unbridled power into a proper vessel."

Jane pushed her hair behind her ears, "What's an Earth Mother?"

"An ancient being," Odin replied curtly as he circled his enemy, "Immortal and very rare."

"One in a millennia, if that," Loki finished, acid in his voice. Darcy could see the rising defeat in his gaze, his anger.

In her usual practical way, Jane asked, "Do you know of one?"

Frigga laid a hand on Jane's arm, "There hasn't been one since the fall of Svartalfheim. And finding one in the vast populace of the universe…"

The sentence hung in the air, heavy. Silence dropped over the room, weighing down the occupants.

Darcy kicked at the floor, feeling frustrated that they had two impossible solutions—one that would save her friend and doom the universe, and the other that required a mythical creature with the rarity of a unicorn.

"Balls."

**As always, let me know what you think. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, here we go. An extra chapter just because its the holidays and I have a few days at home to think about this sort of stuff. **

The bed was plush and soft, but Darcy hadn't noticed. She was too busy trying not to throw up at the thought of her best friend dying from a parasitic alien invader. All in all, she shouldn't be surprised by the turn of events in her life, the roller coaster of darkness that had been with her since she first received the book from Tony Stark. Until now, the darkness had always been at bay, never hitting close enough to home for Darcy to feel unsettled. She was part of a team, she was advancing in her magic, and they had been invincible.

A few rooms away, Thor was waiting hand and foot on his wife, who was ever so slowly deteriorating from housing the chaos of the Aether inside her body. Jane was strong, but this kind of magic was clearly stronger. She couldn't watch as Jane died, so she did what any good Shield agent would do: She called in reinforcements. Claire would be sending in the cavalry—Belinda to use her encyclopedic knowledge and August to act as the muscle. Darcy hoped they would arrive by morning, travel between worlds was still untenable when one didn't have their own chauffer.

Loki appeared in the doorway, wearing a deep blue tunic and a pair of soft dark pants. His hair was damp, the ends still dripping a little.

"You shouldn't worry," he offered, moving to sit next to her on the bed.

Darcy scoffed, "Pot. Kettle. Black. You're just as worried as I am."

His smile was brittle, "Perhaps."

Reaching out, Darcy took his hand, feeling the familiar caress of his skin and taking some comfort in his presence. She leaned forward and dropped her forehead to his shoulder, sighing.

"Come now," Loki said with humor, "We will solve this."

Darcy swallowed and allowed herself to be tucked beneath the covers, Loki sliding in beside her. He looked down at her, running a hand over her hair.

"Sleep," he urged. "You can worry about Jane tomorrow morning."

Her lip curled, "How can you be so rational about this?"

"Because," Loki explained, his eyes bright, "Malekith would never allow the cask of his people to remain in a human for too long. If he lets her die, the Aether risks dispersing throughout the universe. It would be a massive undertaking to gather it back again."

Angry, Darcy bit out, "This isn't a game, Loki. Jane could really die."

"I'm not playing games," he replied, rolling to his back. "I'm strategizing."

_Always with the strategizing_. If Darcy didn't know better, she would have thought he didn't have a feeling in his lean body.

Flinging herself out of bed, Darcy turned her rage upon him, "Don't treat Jane like collateral damage. She is my _best friend_."

"I know this," Loki called to her, swinging his long legs over the edge of the bed and approaching her. "But the Dark Elves are not known for their compassion. They will use Jane to leverage their own ends. We must remain ahead of them."

She seethed, "And how do we do that?"

"Mjolnir keeps the Kursed at bay. Malekith and all his remaining soldiers are locked in Asgard's cells." He smirked, "Believe me, there is no escaping from those cells."

"And?" Darcy shot back, thinking that they were still way behind on the score board.

"And," Loki continued, grasping her hands, "She has a dedicated best friend who will stop at nothing until Jane is safe."

Reluctantly allowing herself to be pulled into an embrace, Darcy murmured into the fabric of his tunic, "I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm waiting for us to be a step ahead."

"Ah," Loki replied, leading her towards the bed. "Well, I should think it obvious that with as many sorcerers as will be in the halls of Asgard tomorrow, we will come up with something."

Darcy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, unwilling to concede the point. It was typical Loki, spouting that he had a plan while working off the cuff. And even though everything tended to go his way more often than not, this was _Jane_. Scientist extraordinaire and her best friend. This was also alien evil as opposed to regular Midgard evil—something that Darcy had little experience with. She didn't want to put it on chance that Jane would live through it.

Loki held her until her arms uncrossed and her hands slipped up the back of his tunic to rest against his cool skin. Slowly, he rocked her from side to side soothingly, his feet sliding across the floor until he could turn to lay her down on the bed.

"Rest," he said in a whisper.

All of the anxiety must have worn her out because Darcy could not remember a time when she had fallen asleep so quickly. Nestled between a pile of pillows and Loki's body, she slept dreamlessly and deep. The morning sunrise came as a surprise, filtering through the sheer curtains and waking her foggy mind. Reaching blindly for her glasses, Darcy sat up and looked around. Soft, comfy bed: check. Softly snoring boyfriend: check. Resurgence of worry for bestie: double check.

Knowing that Thor wouldn't allow her to see Jane quite so early, Darcy stumbled from the bed, unraveling ten feet of sheet from her thighs. She spent about five minutes pacing the length of the room, eyeing a still blissfully asleep Loki with ire, before Claire's voice sounded in her head. The Gatekeeper reminded her of the first thing she learned while developing her magic. Darcy would need to focus, to center herself so that she could make good decisions.

Unceremoniously dropping several pillows into the floor in front of a large set of double doors that opened to the balcony, Darcy plopped down and crossed her legs. Straightening her spine, she committed to at least ten minutes of meditation before she woke Loki and sought food and friend. With a deep breath, Darcy cleared her mind and used the forest meditation Claire favored.

She was one with the trees

She was earthy and pliant.

She was wearing the wrong underwear for this.

The fabric dug into her thigh a little, the elastic itching. Darcy fought to keep still. She focused harder on the little dirt trail, but the itch followed her into the meditative space. Finally, she relented and shifted to pull at the edge of the fabric before settling back into place. She even pressed her thumb and middle finger together and gave a loud mental 'ohm' for good measure.

Darcy was in the cave.

She was approaching the lit room.

Her mind was focused.

Her breathing was even and deep.

Her stomach was growling.

With a groan, Darcy opened her eyes and rubbed at them. She didn't know why she was even trying. Meditation had never been her strong suit and it often left her feeling grumpy with frustration. Claire had given up after the first few sessions, allowing Darcy to simply sit quietly or perform some other task while the group focused their energies.

The sun was glinting off the buildings, sharp golden reflections reminding her that she was not on earth. The air was hot already, spicy in a way that made her tongue tingle. Water seemed plentiful, barreling over massive cliffs and forming rivers alongside the streets. The whole place seemed like something out of a sci-fi novel and it thrilled her that she could see it again. Memories of her previous visit were hazy with nervous energy and the stress of the wedding. Now, she got a moment to simply enjoy it...right before she started to feel guilty for enjoying it while her friend was in danger.

Slumping, Darcy pushed to standing and padded over to the bed. Loki was sprawled across his side of the bed, one are flung out as if reaching for her in his sleep. She carded her fingers through his dark hair, pushing the strands back from his face. For five years they had been together and as she neared her thirties (twenty six was all downhill) Darcy became more and more sure that he was who she wanted to be with. He listened to her when she talked about the inane details of her day, watched shitty zombie flicks with her on the days when he wasn't negotiating with bureaucrats. He helped her refine spells that she picked up from August's crazy ass and supported her when she ranted about how her shirt was totally ruined after one of Tony's experiments. He loved her. She knew it. But, even after five years she could tell that he still held things back from her.

Every once in a while, Darcy would remember that he was a veritable immortal god and she was, well, not. The paradox of their impossible relationship would get her down for about half a second before her general inclination to live in the present would kick in and she would force herself away from the topic. It was safer not to contemplate the unknown future, safer not to think about what would happen as time passed.

Sensing her presence, Loki's eyes opened. Just like that he was awake and staring up at her. Darcy smiled a little, pulling her leg up beneath her for balance.

"Morning, sunshine," she drawled.

Loki pushed his palms to the mattress, angling his body so that he leaned against the headboard.

"Good morning," he replied, his hair falling haphazardly around his face.

Darcy rolled over to her side of the bed and mirrored his position, her fingers twisting a little in her lap. She wanted to talk more about Jane and how they would beat this new enemy. The words died in her throat, sitting there on that sumptuous bed, wrapped in luxury. All of Asgard shone with grandeur and Darcy couldn't appreciate a lick of it.

Loki sighed and rose, "Get dressed. We'll go to check on Dr. Foster."

Excited and eager, Darcy threw her legs over the side of the bed, stumbling as she grabbed her sweatshirt and jeans. Shoving her limbs through the fabric, Darcy hopped around on one leg as she pulled on her sneakers. When she turned to present herself, Loki was pressing his hand to his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. He had used his magic to pull together an outfit that seemed in line with Asgardian fashion and was looking, as usual, perfect.

Darcy narrowed her eyes as she pulled her hair into a high ponytail, "Let's go, mister."

They were out the door and traveling the short length of hallway to Thor's room before Loki could protest. When Darcy's insistent knocks went unanswered, Loki wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her further down the hall to the grand staircase. The dining hall was as huge as she remembered, furnished in low wooden tables that were already filling up. Darcy caught the scent of meat and mead wafting through the air, the spice unforgettable.

Thor's massive body was hard to miss, towering over the crowd. He neck was bowed, back curved as he leaned down to hear what Jane was saying. With Loki's help, Darcy was able to make her way through the crowd. The table was laden with platters of thickly cut meats and bowls of fruit.

"Welcome, brother," Thor greeted, handing them plates and cups.

Darcy let Loki fill her plate, her attention on Jane. She looked a little more ashen, but her spine was straight and her vision was clear. Darcy scooted close, keeping her voice low.

"How are you?"

Jane smiled in that way she always did when she was trying to hide something, a tight lipped grimace that failed to reach her eyes, "I'm good. Really."

"Liar," Darcy retorted, "And I would know. I got experience with the best."

They shared a chuckle and Darcy turned to her meal. The only recognizable item looked very close to bacon, so she started with that. It was similar in taste, but the rubbery texture left something to be desired. She tried a few more of the varieties, able only to really enjoy the one that tasted a little like chicken. The fruit was much better, ripe and sweet. Darcy ate three large berry thingies, sipping at the thick wine from her cup.

Thor pulled apart a leg the size of his forearm, saying, "Mother wishes to see us after our meal."

Loki stiffened beside her, "Did she say why?"

Shrugging, Thor chewed thoughtfully. Loki rolled his eyes in response and Darcy suppressed a smile. If anyone could help pull the Aether out of Jane, Frigga was the person to do it. She could feel the magic coming from the Queen without seeking it out, the sheer weight of her power a physical presence.

Knowing that the Queen had requested an audience, they ate quickly, filing out of the room. As they walked, Darcy noted the looks that were sent their way. Some looked curious, others disgusted. All, however, were quick to avert their eyes when she steadily met their gaze. Loki grasped her wrist suddenly, his thumb and forefingers wrapping easily around the width.

"What?" Darcy whispered once they were out in the halls.

He didn't answer, his jaw working and his eyes focused on the path in front of them. Darcy twisted her arm so that it was she that was holding onto him, her mouth thinning in annoyance.

"What?" she repeated, tugging gently.

Loki looked at her sidelong, "You shouldn't provoke them."

Darcy scoffed, "I wasn't provoking anyone. They were the ones who were looking at me like I was a sideshow attraction."

His pace slowed, his chin dropping as he canted his shoulders, "They weren't looking at you."

"Uh," Darcy muttered, "If they weren't staring at me, then who were they staring at?"

A pause, "Me."

She blinked, "What?"

"They were staring at me, Darcy," Loki gritted out, hand on the small of her back as they turned yet another corner in the endless maze of the palace halls.

Thor sauntered on ahead, the blue of Jane's gown fluttering against the red of his cape. Darcy tried to keep one eye on them and the other on Loki's expression. It had closed off for what seemed like the hundredth time since they'd gotten to Asgard.

"I almost destroyed an entire planet," he intoned lowly. "It's bound to make for gossip."

Darcy bit her tongue, knowing that his reputation on Earth was still shaky at best. She hadn't thought that the events in New York would follow him across space. Did they fear him, as her people did? Did they revile him as a megalomaniac? While others had taken Loki's place as the latest villain, there were some even amongst Shield agents that still kept a heavy watch on him when he was on Earth. Darcy learned to ignore them for the most part.

"Asgard's memory is long and they are not lenient with those who cannot follow the path laid out for them."

Darcy knew that. Loki had told her story after story of Asgard's intolerance, of its ethnocentrism, of its dominance across the cosmos. She thought that maybe they were just old stories, tall tales told to children over campfires. It hadn't occurred to her that they might hold a grain of truth—okay, more than a grain, possibly an entire sandy beach of grains. She imagined Loki walking the halls, dodging looks that were meant for censure and shame. How had he managed to go for months working on negotiations with the King's council enduring it? Darcy would have started calling them out by now, flipping at least three independent birds just for good measure.

She didn't have any more time to think on the subject, Thor suddenly turning and pushing through a familiar set of double doors. They opened to Frigga's outer rooms, the Queen turning regally to regard their entrance.

"My sons," she greeted, giving each a hug. "Dr. Foster and Lady Darcy."

Darcy let herself be drawn in Frigga's embrace, the warm scent of honey and ginger filling her nose. Again, she was saluted with a touch of magic, a friendly hello. With half a smile, Darcy returned the little pulse of magic, pulling away to catch Frigga's knowing gaze of approval.

"Your friends have arrived and are being escorted here. The guards will want to search their bags, unfortunately. My husband is overcautious."

Lifting one shoulder, Darcy replied, "Can't be any worse than the TSA. At least they'll probably get to keep their clothes on."  
>Frigga's brows drew together a bit, but she let the comment pass without question. Sweeping out one arm, she indicated a wide, round table. Laid out were several crystals and what looked like some kind of map. A bowl sat nearby, smoking gently.<p>

"I thought we could scry for our missing earth mother," she suggested.

Jane moved to stand over the map, "I thought you said there wasn't one here."

"Not one that we know," Frigga responded, her hands already flattening over the map. "But I thought it best that we check thoroughly before we move away from our best solution."

Thor stood next to his mother, "A good plan."

"Of course it is," Loki added, standing opposite his mother and brother. "Where shall we start?"

Frigga tapped the center of the map, "Asgard is not so large that we must take it piecemeal."

Reaching into the bowl, Frigga lifted a pale silvery chain from its contents, a glowing blue crystal hanging heavily. She touched the crystal to the center of the map, arm held rigid. From in her gut, Darcy felt the pull of magic as it shifted the air in the room. She swallowed and let it wash over her, the unfamiliar tingle unsettling her inner core. It wanted to reach out and wrap itself around her, protect her from the strange force. She tamped it down, letting Frigga's power wash over her unheeded.

Frigga held it aloft for a moment more, sighing gently. "The earth mother is not on Asgard."

Loki hesitated only a moment, "Which implies another location?"

Keen eyes flicked up to assess her son, "I have felt her for a short while, growing stronger. It is doubtful that she even knows her heritage. The old ways are not always recognized in the outer realms."

Jane tilted her head to the side, "Are they always female?"

Frigga nodded, saying quite concisely, "Of course."

The doors to the room swung open, August striding through looking as confident as always. Behind her, Belinda hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder, eyes taking in the surroundings with undisguised awe. As with every moment in August's presence, the air shifted with her magic, accommodating her power.

With a scratching sound, the crystal in Frigga's hand trembled and twisted on the chain. Darcy watched the Queen's reaction carefully, her expression concealing everything she was thinking.

August pushed her hands into the pockets of her cut off jeans, "We're here."

Frigga dropped the crystal into the bowl, "Welcome, Guardians."

Snickering, August shook her head, "Not yet Guardians, but close enough."

"Surely you know that it takes more than ceremonial markings to make a Guardian," Frigga countered smoothly.

August's expression darkened momentarily, brightening almost within in the same second, "I hear I've been invited to a fight."

Thor stepped forward, touching his mother's shoulder on the way, "Yes. The Dark Elves have returned and seek to take control of the Aether, in effect destroying the entire universe."

Laughing, August's eyes sparkled as she said, "Y'all don't mess around in Asgard."

"Indeed we do not," Loki snipped from behind Darcy.

August eyed him, giving a short acknowledging nod. Their rivalry had never quite cooled, blows passed back and forth between them over the last five years in an endless stalemate. Neither seemed inclined to finish the game or to offer the winning strike. Darcy thought that they both liked the little bit of challenge, masters of magic that they were.

"What do you need?" Belinda asked in a voice so soft that Darcy almost didn't hear it.

Frigga seemed to finally notice Belinda, her attention previously consumed by the rather forceful August. She looked at the girl, sizing her up. Belinda could not keep Frigga's gaze, her eyes sliding to the side to glance out of the wide windows that overlooked the city.

Focus moving back to August, Frigga spoke with all the command of her station, "Dr. Foster has been infected by the Aether. There is no one strong enough to pull the chaos from her. If she remains infected, she will die."

Loki cleared his throat gently, "There is one strong enough."  
>"He is a final resort," Frigga shot back, her hands touching in front of her body. "Malekith would use the Aether to systematically annihilate the nine realms. I will not allow that to happen."<p>

August tilted her head to the side, "D'ya want me to take a look?"

Without waiting for an answer, August approached Jane and laid a hand on her arm. She pulled back almost immediately, her expression darkening.

"Oh," she said in a hollow tone, "This is dark magic."

"No shit," Darcy quipped. Then, beseechingly, "Can you do anything?"

Shaking her head, August folded her arms tightly across her chest, "As much as it hurts my ego to say this, I can't unwrap that kind of magic from her. It would tear us both to pieces and I happen to know one person who would personally kick my ass for tryin'."

Darcy felt herself deflate, shoulders sagging. "August is the best we've got. Now what?"

"We scry in the other realms," Frigga said as if it were the easiest solution in the world.

When the eyes of the room fell upon the Queen, she merely turned a sassy cheek and smiled. "My power can only extend so far. We must search the other realms for the earth mother."

"And who," Loki began, "Do you expect to complete this foolish mission?"

Frigga's expression was incredibly telling.

"Oh no," Loki demurred, his hands lifting in front of him defensively. "You cannot be serious."

Taking her son's hands, Frigga implored, "Who else knows the secret passages between worlds? Who else can weave the necessary magic?"

At first, Darcy thought he would outright refuse. Yet, ever so slowly, she could see him bending to his mother's will. It started with the curling of his fingers over her palms and the slight drop of his chin. It continued with his feet shuffling a little as he worked to avoid her avid gaze. It ended with a sigh and his mother's triumphant smile. Darcy made a mental note to memorize her tactics for future use.

"I shall embark immediately," Loki mumbled, turning towards the door.

Nearby, August chuckled.

Darcy followed him, saying, "I've been needing a vacation."

Spinning on his heel, Loki fixed her with a determined, angry gaze. "You will not be accompanying me. It is too dangerous."

"Yeah," Darcy sneered, "And chasing demons is Sunday brunch."

He advanced a step, "I mean it, Darcy."

"You always do," she replied liltingly.

A change in the glint of his eyes and Loki was trying a new tactic, "What about Jane? You would leave her?"

Darcy's jaw set against the guilt that welled up in her stomach, "She has Thor, and Belinda is skilled in healing."

"Is she?" Frigga asked, surprised. Darcy ignored her.

"I'm going."

"You are not."

She ended out going.

Loki made her pack lightly, a few changes of clothing and the bulk of their food for the trip. Loki's pack held their magical necessities and a book of spells. Darcy thumbed through it while he chucked vials of strange gooey liquids on top of the bed. Inside the front page was a set of symbols that she couldn't read. They looked like runes and vibrated with magic when she touched them. After much squinting, Darcy was amazed to see that they shifted in shape, morphing into words she could understand. _My son, all my love. Mother._

Swallowing back the little lump of emotion that wanted to make a very loud and very obnoxious 'aw' sound, Darcy let the book fall closed and pushed her hair from her face. Loki was checking and rechecking the small cabinet next to the closet, his hands running over the vials. She could see his mind working through impossible situations in preparation. It occurred to her that she was not in the least bit worried about traveling throughout the universe. Somehow, it seemed like this was old hat for her. She ran her hand over a large swath of the comforter, thinking about other adventures she'd been on in the last few years.

There was the time she accompanied Camilla Paige to the cold winter of Russia in search of a Yeti that ended out being an abnormally large bear that had a habit of walking on its hind legs in search of food. There was also the time that Claire sent her into a local club to hunt down a vampire. Darcy was lucky that Loki had been off planet when the beast had bared down on her, claws scraping down the length of her torso. Her medical file was three inches thick with injuries, close calls, and side effects of spells gone awry. She figured that she could handle an interplanetary tour.

Loki folded his pack over, securing the buckle with swift flicks of his long fingers. He patted the fabric once, the green of his eyes sliding over to her.

"We should be going now."

Darcy smiled, "Bring it on."

He sighed, "This is serious, Darcy. We need to get into each realm and out of them quickly, before we're discovered, taken captive, and killed."

"Loki," Darcy drawled lightly, "This isn't my first rodeo. It'll be a smash and grab job. Promise."

One dark eyebrow lifted in question. Darcy waved her hand dismissively, hoisting her pack on her shoulder and tossing her hair over her shoulder. Loki led the way out of the palace, the twisting corridors still filled with people who stared at him as he passed. Darcy did her best to fix each of them with her patented Lewis glare, only just managing to keep quiet. She was a guest here, it wouldn't do to start aggravating the populace.

They were going to begin in the nighttime, Loki's favored cloak of darkness to hide their travels. Darcy felt her chest tighten as they neared the large gates. The gold arced over them, gleaming even in the starlight. Everything about Agard shone brightly, the reflection of the dim light rendering streetlights unnecessary for the city. Darcy walked along behind Loki, their path taking them through what looked like a market. She had always wanted to see it in full swing, to witness their bartering system and maybe participate a little, herself. Jane had told her that the merchants were ruthless when negotiating a deal.

After Jane was better, Darcy would take full advantage of the place. She knew Loki would offer her a tour of the local delicacies, but she looked forward to seeing the deeper layers of Asgard. Darcy could hear him debating with her about whether or not she really needed to see the underground fight club (she just _knew_ they had one here) or the hole in the wall shops peddling hard to find products. Loki would give in, as he usually did where she was concerned, but Darcy would make it up to him, as she usually did one way or another. Such was the nature of their relationship, a give and take that forced both of them out of their comfortable lives.

At the gates, there were two tall figures waiting for them. Frigga stood with her shoulders pulled back, a golden dress falling down to pool at her feet. Next to her stood a warrior in golden armor, two curved horns pushing outwards from his temples. Darcy squinted to get a better look, catching dark skin and orange, shining eyes.

"Hail, Prince Loki," the warrior called out.

Loki inclined his head, slowing to a stop next to his mother, "Heimdall."

Frigga folded her hands in front of her, regarding her son carefully, "The Earth Mother is not on Asgard, nor Midgard."

"I will search the five other worlds where such a being might be," Loki replied. "There is little hope to find an Earth Mother on Nilfheim or Muspellsheim."

Nodding, Frigga reached up and pulled Loki into a hug, "Be safe, my son. And hurry. She wanes by the day."

While Darcy's stomach was dropping somewhere in the vicinity of her knees, Frigga turned to Heimdall and nodded. As they stepped away back towards the palace, the queen turned to call out once more.

"Do try to be friendly this time around."

Beside her, Loki chuckled and Darcy wondered what the story was behind her little jab. She glanced up at him with a questioning look, receiving only a shake of his head. Narrowing her eyes, Darcy made a mental note to ask him about it later, possibly after an orgasm, when he was more willing to offer up information.

They walked in tandem out into the night, the light of Asgard fading behind them until Darcy was relying solely on Loki's knowledge and confident strides to find her way. Pooling magic in her palm, Darcy lifted her hand a little, casting some light on their path. They were heading upwards, into the cracks of a mountain so high she couldn't see the peak. She had to turn to the side to slide through the entrance, the squeeze rasping against her breasts as she tried to make herself as thin as possible.

Loki stopped a moment, touching the walls. He ran his hands high and low, seeking out something in the rock. Darcy pushed up her glasses and waited as patiently as she could, but even then she couldn't quite keep her mouth shut.

"Aziz! Light!"

With a flourish, Darcy pulsed the magic in her palm to a bright glow, holding her hand high above her head.

Loki glanced back at her with a smirk, his fingers curling around an outcrop and yanking. The rocks gave way, opening narrowly. Darcy craned her neck, her hand falling as she caught sight of a swirling mass of stars. It rotated slowly, circling around a dark mass in the middle. Her jaw dropped, her pulse dropped. Her whole body might have dropped if she hadn't leaned back against the wall of the cave. It was beautiful. Fantastic. Indescribably epic.

Loki continued to smirk, "Shall we?"

**Again, this will be a novella of sorts, so we'll only get to see just the bare surface of the planets they will be visiting. But, I hope that you'll enjoy my take on things. And, who knows, maybe something awesome will happen. (Of course something awesome is going to happen).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alrighty then, here we go.**

The ride was a whirlwind, her grip almost failing her as Loki deposited them onto solid ground. Her stomach wanted to revolt, her body shook with shock and adrenaline. Darcy was, overall, feeling like she'd just gotten off the biggest roller coaster in the park and damn it if she didn't want to go again right away. She was breathing foreign air, adrenaline pumping through her veins insistently.

"Welcome to Vanaheim," Loki murmured, his hand running over her hair in a soothing motion that Darcy was just realizing that she missed. It seemed like, lately, he wasn't touching her as much as he used to. She didn't like to think of herself as clingy, but she missed even the fleeting little brush of fingers that had once characterized their interactions.

Righting herself, Darcy pulled away unsteadily and turned to take in the view. There were two suns that seemed to be quite far away, their dual light casting no more heat than the sun of her own planet. For that, she was grateful, even though it seemed Vanaheim was in the height of summer. Rolling hills of grass and trees littered the horizon, a cluster of houses peeking out from a low mound. Loki's hand folded over her arm, drawing her towards the little buildings.

Low to the ground, they were made of stones that looked pieced together by hand, the cracks filled with a dark grout. Darcy eyed them curiously as Loki guided her through the town and up a massive hill. Though she was more physically fit than she had ever been in her life, Darcy still found herself panting from the hike. Loki, of course, barely looked like he had exerted himself. He preened just a little as she shot him a glare.

Atop the hill, they could see a wide swath of the land, several clusters of houses that seemed to congregate in groups of three. In the distance stood a tall (tall in comparison to the low houses) structure, a spire shooting up to the sky. A pale blue from the distance, Darcy squinted at it.

"It kind of looks like King Triton's castle," she commented.

Loki peered down at her in confusion, "King Triton?"

Darcy nodded, shielding her eyes with her hand, "Yeah."

He rolled wrist, "King of what kingdom?"

Lifting a brow, Darcy regarded him for a moment, "When we get back home, we're going on a Disney run."

Loki's expression folded into something that let her know he would trust her judgment and let her lead later. Darcy smiled and leaned a little to the side, knocking him lightly with her shoulder.

"So, what now?"

Loki pointed to the tall structure, "That is the temple. It is the center of their religious practices and the best point to converge magic. We will need to request to use the room of power to search for the Earth Mother."

The way he talked about their mission was derisive, the intonation of his words prickly. Darcy glanced at the ground, unsure of what that meant for them. He had been reluctant when his mother had assigned him the task and now the set of his jaw made her think he still wasn't on board.

"Do you think we'll, you know, succeed?" She asked carefully, trying to gauge the feelings he kept locked behind walls built high over his long life.

Loki took a little too long to answer, "I don't know."

The hike down the hill was much faster than the hike upwards, their course set for the temple… thing. As they moved closer, the spires loomed higher, the rounded tips reflecting the light of the dual suns so sharply that Darcy's vision blurred any time she looked up. For an hour, they walked in near silence, the pack on her back bouncing with each step. Irritably, she wiped at the sweat that was forming at her brow.

As she opened her mouth to ask how much longer they were going to walk in the heat that was only rising around them, Darcy spotted the tall doors of the temple. They were open, shadows obscuring the inside. Loki walked in unhurriedly, confidently. Darcy hung back a little, knowing that Asgard had enemies and Loki was one of Asgard's most notorious public figures. She didn't want to be caught in the middle when the bullets started flying. She didn't care if the bullets were metaphorical or not.

As they moved out of the sun, the heat swirling around her dissipated into a pleasant, cool mist. She sighed in relief, adjusting her pack and letting her eyes adjust to the dimmer light. It looked very much like a Catholic cathedral without the stained glass. Instead, the windows were slatted openings that cast sunlight on sheer tapestries. The colors were earth tones—browns, greens, oranges, and yellows. Everything inside was covered in splotches of dye that moved with the suns outside.

A soft sound of an indrawn breath caught her attention, little patters of feet coming closer in quick succession. Darcy wrinkled her nose, watching as a pale, thin, fragile looking woman rushed down the stairs and wrapped her arms around _her boyfriend_. Arms slung over the shoulders she held close and hands pressed into the leather armor she often gripped in passion. Eyes narrowed, Darcy waited to decide if someone had to die.

"My lord, Loki," the woman said with such enthusiasm that Darcy's jaw clenched, "It has been too long."

Loki, to his credit, pulled away after a brief second and cleared his throat, "Mya. I must apologize, my duties to the crown have been many."

Mya smiled, a mouth full of straight white teeth, "I heard about your little coup on Midgard. That was very naughty of you." She sighed, "But I suppose if any realm could be conquered easily…"

The sentence hung in the air between them and Darcy alternated between feeling pity for Loki's remaining shame and self-righteous anger at Mya's bigotry. In the end, there was no stopping her loud mouth.

"I'm Darcy," she said, with a little wave and a tight smile, "Of Midgard."

Mya eyed her a moment, her smile fading and then widening to full wattage, "Oh, Loki, you've picked up a pet."

Darcy's expression held, but the ice in her gaze was clear. She licked her lips and pushed her glasses up her nose, feeling her magic roll under her skin as she prepared to put the beat down on this pampered princess.

Loki, sensing the fight, pressed a palm to the space between Darcy's shoulders, "She's not my pet, Mya. She is my consort."

The victory was pretty sweet, if Darcy did say so, herself. Mya's smile faltered for the first time and it looked like it took some real effort to keep her demeanor genial. Satisfied and not a little bit smug, Darcy filed the memory away to gloat over later.

"We need your Room of Power," Loki prompted. "The Dark Elves have risen and we must seek help."

Mya froze, her thin hands folding anxiously in front of her, "And their leader?"

Loki lifted his chin, "Malekith has been captured by Asgard."  
>"He is still a threat," Mya spat, her face crumbling into something unladylike for the first time. "You should have killed him immediately."<p>

His smile charming, Loki simply shrugged, "As with all things, it is complicated."

Tellingly, Mya's eyes flicked to the side, taking in Darcy once more. Darcy lifted a brow and managed to keep silent, knowing that diplomacy was needed far more than rampant sarcasm. Her friend's life depending on her and Darcy would be damned if she was going to screw it up.

"The Room of Power is not a toy to be trifled with, Loki."

The smile turned into a smirk, "Everything is a toy, if you look at it the right way."

Darcy dropped her eyes to the stone floors, hearing the sharp, jagged edges of his tone. Loki had softened some over the years, his flirtatious and playful nature shining through the layers of self hatred and rage. She guessed that he would always be a little dangerous, a little jaded, a little evil. Those characteristics, too, were part of Loki's nature. Sometimes they argued for hours over a biting remark, other times they bantered together. Give and take. That was them.

Mya looked unsatisfied with Loki's answer, "What would you use it for?"

"We seek a specific person, a wielder of earth magic."

The tiny woman scoffed with derision, "We all wield earth magic."

Loki rolled his eyes, annoyance finally falling across his face, "May we use the room or not?"

Mya contemplated the thought, her arms folding in front of her petulantly. Darcy was halfway to opening her mouth to speed things along when Mya spun on her heel and darted off. Loki followed with his long strides, leaving Darcy skipping to catch up. At the back of the room was a tall, thick curtain of deep red. Mya paused before it, pressing her fingertips to her forehead briefly, before ushering them inside.

Pleasant expression having returned to her face, Mya simpered, "It is the pleasure of our temple that Asgard would ask a _favor_ of us."

Alarms rang out in Darcy's head. Politicians used that tone of voice when they were debating each other, talking out of their asses while somehow making backhanded compliments and saying absolutely nothing. Would Asgard now owe the temple a favor in return? Loki may have been recently scandalized by his actions in New York and the repercussions across the realms, but he was still a member of the royal family. Odin had not cast him out for his crimes and Frigga still called him her son frequently and amongst the public.

Loki was all charm and smooth tone, his smile just this side of conniving. "Reciprocity is an unexpected boon, Mya. Tell me, is it true that Thor felled a mountain beast in a single blow? The rumors are running rampant in the mead halls."

Mya was silent, her back to them. But, Darcy could see the tension in her shoulders.

"Of course," Loki continued lightly, "Thor is always happy to enter a fight—and Asgard was honored to come to the aid of Vanaheim in your time of need."

Finally, Mya was able to utter, "Vanaheim is grateful for the offering of your warriors. We had not anticipated such an intense breeding season."

"Understandable," Loki replied, stride halting as they stood before an inner chamber.

Mya could only nod, her fine skin gone pale. She gestured to a curtained doorway, leading them onwards. Immediately swamped in darkness, Darcy resisted the urge to throw a pulse of light about the room. With her luck it would anger their gods and she'd be thrown into a hell dimension filled with fedora wearing douche bags. The center of the room was dimly lit, a pillar extending to an unseen ceiling. Darcy guessed that it traversed all the way up to the top of the tallest spire. She also guessed that they were going to hear a story. She guessed right.

Mya talked about how this was the first monument of their people, how the stone was mined from the center of Vanaheim and how in honor of the monument they remained low to the ground. Darcy half listened, her attention on how Mya clearly didn't know boundaries and kept brushing past Loki as she circled the room. Irritable, Darcy blew the hair from her eyes and waited for further direction.

With yet another circuit, Mya pressed a delicate palm against the pillar, releasing a hidden door. It hissed open like a common cliché, revealing a set of stairs.

"You may proceed." Mya informed them.

Darcy ducked inside, not wanting to run the risk of a continued lecture on special dimension and height requirements. She tripped on the first stair, gripping the slick walls to catch her balance. Reaching back, she grabbed at the flashlight hanging off the side of her pack, shining the beam upwards. The stairs circled around the center of the pillar, the gray metallic walls obscuring the path. Clenching her jaw, Darcy reminded herself of her mission yet again. Minor irritations aside, Jane's life was worth climbing a seemingly endless flight of stairs.

Of course, she was doubting herself about ten minutes later as she leaned against the wall, sweating so profusely that it ran down the center of her back to pool against the waistband of her pants. The heat from the outside stifled her, rising with every step. A beat later, Loki was beside her, a smirk on his face.

"Am I not always telling you to pace yourself?"

Darcy rolled her eyes, "Am I not always getting there before you."

The smirk turned salacious, "That is, rather, the point in some cases."

She couldn't help it. Even though she was still grumpy, Darcy felt herself smile and chuckle. Shifting a little in her boots, she leaned a little more of her weight against the side of the staircase, sweat dropping from her temples to plop audibly against her shoulders. Shrugging out of her pack, she pulled the light jacket over her head, uncaring that her hair would likely stand on end with the static. The relief was immediate, her skin exposed to the humid air.

A cool hand reached up and gripped the back of her neck from the base of her skull to the nape. His skin was always slightly cool, but it seemed icy in the heat. She sighed deeply, her head falling back against his palm.

"Very handy," she murmured, eyed closed.

Loki's continued smirk could be heard in the tone of his voice as he repeated a mantra she had heard over and over throughout their relationship, "I aim to please."

"You aim to misbehave," Darcy corrected. "But you hit that target, too."

He hummed in response, his free hand slipping beneath the fabric of her t shirt to press against her sternum. If possible, his skin grew colder, goose bumps rising along her skin. The hot air of the staircase faded away a bit, leaving her shivering for a myriad of reasons.

Pulling his hands from her body, Loki announced, "We need to keep moving."

Grumbling, Darcy picked her pack off the floor and, this time, followed him up the staircase of perpetual torture. She was sweating again in no time, glaring at his back as he seemed unaffected. It wasn't fair that, even in two layers of leather and two layers of cotton, Loki was still perfectly composed. She knew it was magic, an illusion that covered his discomfort. It didn't make her want to trip him any less.

When Darcy was seriously considering stripping off her jeans, they reached the pinnacle of the ridiculously high tower. The staircase opened to a small, round room. There were no windows, and just a single light, which lent the atmosphere of a horror movie to the scene. Darcy checked the edges of the room for black cats and sacrificial altars.

"Now what?" she asked, watching as Loki dropped into a crouch in the center of the room.

He glanced at her, "We activate their source of power and use it as a catalyst for our scrying spell."

"Ride the rocket all the way to the moon."

One would think that Loki would have gotten used to not understanding her from time to time, but his expression still fixed on her with that confused and half indulgent gaze. As per usual, he let it go, filing away her words to ask about later. Pale hands touched the stone floor and Darcy could feel the frisson of magic. Around the room, glyphs that looked similar and yet completely alien to her illuminated, casting the room in a silver-blue glow. Darcy moaned as the temperature dropped dramatically, the heat dissipating.

Green eyes flashed at her, but the task drew his attention almost immediately. He circled the center of the room, touching here and there until it looked like the whole of the room was glowing with energy. Then, he reached into his own pack and pulled the bowl and crystal from its depths.

Darcy approached and dropped to her knees, helping Loki unroll a map. Using various objects from her bag, she anchored it down, palms flattening the thick paper as much as possible. From above, Vanaheim was a series of islands that connected in an archipelago. She could see that the tower they were standing in was one of many scattered over the expanse of the world. Darcy thought that they were probably connected in some way, like cell phone towers or those cat websites on the internet.

Loki set the crystal in the center of the map, reaching for the bowl. Inside, he placed a mixture of stones and herbs. Carefully, he uncorked a vial and tilted it so that a few drops fell onto the mass of magic elements. Its pungent smell wafted towards Darcy, a mix of sandalwood and musk. She watched Loki pocked the vial and then steadied himself on his knees.

"Do you need help?"

The look he sent her said, 'Hello? Have you met me? Experienced sorcerer, here.' She held up her hands in defeat, making a soft noise in the back of her throat.

Holding a hand over the bowl, Loki began the scrying chant, voice laced with magic. Darcy loved that sound, loved it when he cast spells for her and showed her new ways to manipulate her power. The earliest memories of their relationship carried the scent and sound of spell casting. He'd given her tips and tricks for spells Claire was teaching her, and led her into the more advanced magic far ahead of her peers. With all the missions and Loki's ambassadorial duties, they hadn't been able to sit down and talk magical theory over popcorn and a B movie lately. She made a mental note to rectify that once they saved Jane.

Though the magic in the room increased the longer Loki chanted, the crystal hung uselessly in the center of the map. Darcy watched it with ire, wondering if they'd picked up the wrong one—she was prone to quirks of fate like that. Loki's chanting grew more fervent, his mouth wrapping around the words that Darcy knew by heart. They received not even a twitch for the effort. She sighed and pushed her glasses up her nose, waving her hand.

"This is useless. She isn't on Vanaheim."

Loki stopped and leaned back onto his heels, "I agree."

"Fuck," Darcy breathed. "Let's pack up and move this party to the next realm."

In his careful way, Loki loaded up the map, bowl, and crystal and hauled his pack over his shoulder. On the way down the stairs 'o' hell, Darcy heard voices echoing upwards. She breathed deeply, the heat having returned to assault her once more. Sweat trickled down her back, along her spine, and under the waistband of her jeans, settling in _the most_ uncomfortable spot imaginable. She hoped someone would pick a fight, because she really wanted to break something.

At the entrance to the stairwell, Mya was waiting for them. Her gracious smile made Darcy uneasy, but she stepped to the side, letting Loki take the lead on their public relations. Asgard probably had better things to do than gloss over the ruffled feathers of a priestess with a black eye. Loki's returning smile had a hard edge to it, the only indication of his annoyance.

"Asgard thanks you," he said.

Mya tilted her head to the side, her shoulders lifting gently, "We are happy, as always, to help. In fact, the Temple is having our equatorial celebration this evening. We would be most honored to have Asgard's prince in attendance. And his consort."

Darcy blinked, ready to tell her to shove that condescending attitude right where it would hurt the most, but Loki's hum interrupted her. He seemed to consider the invitation, the green of his eyes glinting in the low light. Darcy pulled her lips in between her teeth, hoping that he would refuse and they could just get the hell out of there to someplace with a cooler atmosphere, a place where the humidity didn't weigh down so much.

"We accept your invitation. Our journey has been tiring and we would welcome the Temple's accommodations."

Jaw unhinging, Darcy followed Loki in half a rage as they were led down a long, curtained corridor to a suite of rooms. Standing on the plush carpeting and dripping sweat, Darcy growled in the back of her throat.

"What do you think you're doing? We have to get to the next realm."

Loki set his pack down by the high edge of the bed, his heavy coat following, "Traveling between worlds is exhausting, Darcy. I must replenish my energy. Why not at the expense of the Temple?"

Breath pushing out from her lungs, Darcy gave a reluctant nod, "We leave as soon as you're recovered, right?"

"Yes, my love," Loki intoned with just a trace of irritation. "Now, how about a bath?"

Darcy's skin leapt to attention, waving the flag of defeat at the thought of cleaning off the salt of her sweat and a fresh change of clothes. With a tired smile, she assented and pulled the layers of clothes away from her body, throwing them into a small pile. She'd sweat through all layers, her jeans sticky and difficult to budge down the swell of her hips. Grunting, she managed to kick them away. Then, she walked naked into the bathroom where Loki was filling the bath. The air was thick with a sweet smell, possibly some kind of oil.

Using magic she hadn't quite learned to perform, he'd sent his clothes away and she got a pretty good view of his, quite frankly, fantastic ass. Unable to help herself, she gave it a little swat as she passed, dipping the sole of her foot into the water for a moment before submerging herself. The heat made her sigh and, begrudgingly, she acknowledged to herself that the bath was a great idea. Wonderful. Perfect. God damn genius.

Loki sidled up next to her and they spent a few minutes washing and rinsing, Darcy's hair catching on her arms only to be pulled to the side by his fingers. As the grime of the day was sloughed from her skin, the agitation of their mission sank back in. Darcy pushed from the tub and toweled the excess water from her hair, running the fabric over her torso and legs. Behind, her Loki, too, rose from the water, an irritated sigh passing his lips.

It had to have been the heat of the stairs and the bath combined, but Darcy felt her body grow tired and dizzy. She held onto the counter, eyes closed, while she tried to catch her breath.

"You need rest," Loki murmured at her ear, arms already wrapping around her middle to guide her back out into the bedroom.

Still damp and naked, he hauled her onto the mattress and pulled the covers up over her body. Darcy pushed a palm down in an attempt to rise.

"But Jane," she began.

He cut her off, "Is in the hands of the finest healer in all of Asgard. My mother will not let any harm come to her."

They had just started searching and already Darcy was taking a freaking nap like some kind of toddler. She hated herself for falling asleep, even more so for enjoying the comfort of the blankets and the feeling of Loki, running his fingers through her hair. It must have been a long nap, because Darcy woke feeling groggy. Clothes were laid out at the bottom of the bed, sounds from the bathroom indicating that Loki was already dressed.

When her head cleared a little, she pushed her glasses into place and grabbed at the undergarments. Her breasts were far too large for some of the fancier lingerie, but Loki somehow found the sexiest bras and underwear, gifting them to her regularly. This pair was black with a silver little box in the center, a full satin cup that would hold her biggest physical assets in place. If she were in any mood to admire herself (which she usually was), Darcy would bounce a little just to check that they were still going to work their magic. As it was, she merely pulled the thin dress over her head and braided her hair down the center of her back.

Loki exited the bathroom in a deep blue tunic and dark slacks. He very rarely wore any color palette except for gold and green, so that change in hue was a surprise. Darcy smiled involuntarily, touching the shirt.

"This new?"

Loki made a noise of assent, his palms running down the length of her sides, "We should go to dinner. A meal to sustain us and then we go to Alfheim."

Eager to get moving, Darcy made no protest as they entered into the dining hall of the Temple, a room filled with glass and tapestries. She let Loki guide her down to a seat and choose the foods that wouldn't kill her. Not every realm was hospitable to humans, particularly their food. Darcy made the mistake of eating a glowing berry once and experienced what could only be described as tripping balls. From then on, Loki ensured her plate was drug free and wholesome for mortals.

The dinner was fast and light, the dancing starting almost immediately. Darcy worried that they would be swept up in the ceremony, but Loki kept them on the edges of the crowd as onlookers. The dancers were spinning in tight circles, coming together only to part moments later. Darcy felt her eyes begin to cross as she tried to keep up, eventually dropping them to the mostly full wine glass in her hands. She wanted to leave, but feared offending the people. If it were only she standing there, it would have been easy to slip away, but Loki was near famous here and, unfortunately, more conspicuous than an ostrich at an opera.

He held her firmly to his side as they skirted the perimeter of the dance floor, moving between bodies and dodging conversation as much as possible. As a slow melody played from an unseen band, Loki slipped his hand more fully around her waist and pulled. Darcy let her body fall backwards in tandem with him, the light of the dance hall falling away. With a quick hop-step, they were behind a curtain and hauling ass down the hall. She laughed lowly, feeling so much like she did the first time they'd gone on a mission together, scoping out a doctor's office with some seriously shady practices.

Darcy let the cup fall to the side, wincing as it clattered on the stone floors. Loki didn't seem to notice, his long legs carrying them so fast and so far that Darcy could barely keep up. Taking a sharp turn, he pressed his hand to the lock of a door, magic tingling along Darcy's senses. And then they were standing in a large, cavernous room. He dragged her along, reaching out to open boxes and look under sheets.

"If you told me what we were doing, I might be able to help," Darcy drawled, watching him wrangle a cage open to peer inside.

"We're looking for the Moon Blade."

"The who blade?"

"Moon. Blade," Loki enunciated carefully. "Vanaheim was in possession of it last as part of a treaty with Svartalfheim. It was never recovered."

Darcy lifted the edge of a wooden box, a shiny orb sitting on a cushion, "What does it look like?"

"It's a blade."

"Very helpful," she retorted, her annoyance quite clear. "I'm sure it will just pop right out amongst the… plethora of blades here."

Loki sent her a mild glare, "A plethora?"

"Blame the SATs."

Rolling his eyes, Loki finally lifted and hand, concentrating. Darcy folded her hands across her chest and waited, letting him work his voodoo. There was no sense in wasting energy trying to find something when she didn't even know what it looked like. She'd just hang out until he was done and they could get the ever loving hell out of there before the inevitable guards showed up and they had to run for their lives.

"It's not here," Loki announced after a moment.

"Maybe they lost it," She offered plaintively.

He shook his head, "No. They had the blade not half a century ago. I saw it."

"Fifty years is a long time to lose something," she replied, leaning on a pillar.

"Not something like this. The Dark Elves crafted the Moon Blade side by side with the Aether as a system of balance. One could control the other."

Darcy cocked her head to the side, "Then why did they give up the blade to Vanaheim?"

Loki ran his hand over his hair and sighed, "Svartalfheim needed the ore to build the shields for their planet. A sun finally caught them in orbit and it was killing the planet. Vanaheim used it as a bargaining chip to keep Svartalfheim from attacking."

"Oh," was all she could say, her bottom lip curling inwards. "I guess it worked, then."

"Not for long," Loki said as they walked back to the entrance. "The Dark Elves built their shields and grew strong again. Their magic flowed out from their world into the other realms, darkness following in their wake. Asgard had to declare war to protect the universe from being swallowed whole by it."

"Oh," Darcy repeated. "That's… unfortunate."

"Yes," Loki said in a tone that meant the conversation was over. He was leaning against the door, listening.

When it sounded safe, he pulled her out into the hall and they headed (she thought) for their room. Ten minutes later, she was changing out of her dress and into a pair of jeans and a t shirt. Loki was outside making their goodbyes to Mya and the rest of the priestesses. It seemed only females could hold a position of power here, and while Darcy was totally for that, she didn't like the easy way Loki talked with them. There was a history she could never know, old alliances that had formed over centuries. Childish as it was, she couldn't help but to feel left out.

Shaking away the insecurity, Darcy hoisted her pack over her shoulder and stepped out into the hallway. Loki glanced as her, half a smile on his mouth.

"Ah," he breathed, "I believe my consort is ready. We should be taking our leave now."

Mya's smile was tight, "Do give our well wishes to their Highnesses, your parents, for us."

"I will," Loki said offhandedly, his hand already outreached for Darcy.

She fell into step with him out into a large courtyard. Like before, he held her close, asking if she was ready.

"So totally ready," She replied, before her stomach turned inside out and they were moving between realms.

"Alfheim awaits," Loki uttered against her temple.

**So, I've just finished the rest of the chapters and this really is a shorter story than the rest of the series. There are only six chapters, but each chapter is pretty packed with development. I have to say that the end is pretty explosive. XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**I've had to improvise a lot in this chapter because we're not really shown this world in the movies. I did a little research, but figured I could wing it... as I usually do. **

They were standing on a literal cloud and Darcy kept having to check where her feet were landing for fear of falling through to whatever earth might be below them. The soft flooring of the floating… cloud…thingy, gave way beneath her feet and she had the hardest time remaining standing while walking across the field. Though she had gotten the hang of placing her feet toe and heel down at the same time, she still wobbled every few steps. Of course, the citizens of Alfheim moved with such effortless grace and serenity that Darcy looked like some kind of newly birthed giraffe in comparison. She was inordinately glad when Loki finally came to a stop beside a long table and sat down.

Like many cultures in her world and in the worlds that connected throughout the universe, mealtime was a kind of societal glue. The crowds were filtering in from practically thin air, tall, beautiful Light Elves drifting across the cloud to sit with each other. They spoke in low, chiming tones that Darcy wasn't even going to attempt to translate. She leaned a little to the side, instead, watching Loki watching them.

He had been stiff since they left Vanaheim, distracted by something. If she were honest, he had been distracted since he'd come to take her to Asgard not two nights previous. She thought she might ask him, but Darcy was intimately familiar with his half thunderous expression and unwilling to fight off the bite that would inevitably follow the inquisition. Darcy could be patient when she wanted, and when there was no chance of escape, she would get the answers she needed.

The royal family arrived sans the king, perfectly timed with some kind of lyrical bells chiming in the distance. They floated to a long table near the back of the wall-less room, seating themselves as food was brought before them. As per usual, Loki's royal status would ensure an audience and Darcy hoped that they could be quick about scrying for the Earth mother here. The lack of solid ground was giving her a serious case of vertigo and she would die of embarrassment if she threw up all over the soft, fluffy floor.

At first, Darcy had been excited to travel with Loki throughout the worlds, but the darkness that had been eating at her for months while he was away kept filtering in. They seemed to be on the verge of something momentous, but the defining moment never arrived. Darcy kept pushing back the tension, knowing the Loki would come to her in his own time, but worry for Jane only served to compound her bitch ass mood and she was left feeling flighty and nervous. Reaching back, she swigged the thick, warm wine, hoping that the alcohol would stem the tide of shudders that kept wanting to press haphazardly against her fingertips.

Eventually, the ruler of the realm drifted in, looking radiant and beguiling in a long, billowing robe drenched in gold. Loki excused himself to speak with him, his eyes catching her expression and lingering just a moment before she was staring at his back. Bringing the cup to her lips again, Darcy swallowed a large mouthful and sneered to herself. She was a Lewis, and the Lewises did not fall apart under pressure. They endured with sarcasm, wit, and a scathingly pointed cock of the hip. Whatever it was that was happening to her, whatever feelings she was having, would be addressed and dealt with at the earliest opportunity—or shoved down deep until the doctors had to cut out that particular piece of her colon, by God.

Lifting her chin, Darcy regarded the room, noting the children playing off to the side, herded by women that looked to be teenagers, themselves. Everyone was wearing some kind of pastel color, their hair varying shades of deep brown and auburn. She noticed the sharply upturned ears, the slanted brows, the crystalline eyes. Darcy supposed that most of the beings they had encountered as Earth interacted more with the rest of the universe had similar basic body structures, walking on two legs and usually only one head. But, she couldn't help but to note the more obvious similarities between the Dark and Light Elves of Svartalfheim and Alfheim, respectively. She had only one Dark Elf to compare amongst the heaps of Light Elves, but she felt she could get a clear picture. Darcy gave a mental shake of her head followed by a sarcastic snort. They probably had similar ancestors, like how Asgardians looked a lot like Migardians—aside from the immortality and the indescribable strength and, you know, all that.

Lifting her glass a little, Darcy smiled at the girl with the pitcher, thanking her silently for the refill. The meal was underway, but she wasn't hungry. Darcy kept watch on the people, Loki having disappeared for the moment. The more crowded the room got, the more the scent of magic rose to fill her senses. Darcy felt herself relax for the first time since leaving Asgard, welcoming the waves of power the seemed to emanate from everyone around her. Only when the Guardians gathered together did power pulse like this, free of constraint and the possibility of collateral damage. She could feel that they were all connected by the magic shared amongst the population. It seemed to provide a safety net, a security blanket that evened out what looked like an already laid back population.

Darcy explored the feeling a little, thinking that it reminded her of when Camilla began to work with them on controlling their magic and at the beginning of when Claire drilled them about theory and spell work. She'd had to focus on sharing her power with Belinda, Evan, and Regina in order to control the flashes of magic that would escape their hold. Unskilled and eager, Darcy worked hard with her teammates, crafting magical bonds that held even across realms.

Their combined magic kept flights of whimsy in check and nurtured the tendrils of growth where one might have fallen behind. And then August came back and almost killed Claire and the group had been split into teams to take on the demons of the world. With Loki gone so much, they hadn't had time to provide that kind of support for one another and Darcy hadn't realized how much she missed it. Not even the Agents of Shield could relate to standing before a demon, casting it into nothingness or drawing blood magic to defeat darkness.

She was so lost in feeling good that she didn't notice the shadow falling across her, a body settling in at the next seat on the bench.

"You should try the food."

It was said in what Darcy liked to call the Universal Standard—a dialect shared by many realms and damn hard to learn when the only people who spoke it were on another planet. Darcy opened eyes that she hadn't noticed she'd closed and looked up… and up. The elf sitting next to her was tall, way taller than she expected. Darcy had to crane her neck at an uncomfortable angle just to get a look at his face, a face that was smiling genially at her. Leaning away a little, she returned the smile unsteadily.

"I'm not really hungry, but thank you."

Her pronunciation was a little off, but she could tell that he understood her.

His smile widened, "As you say. But, might I recommend you at least taste something. Our delicacies are known to be quite good."

Darcy held her smile, glancing down at the little pastry he held on a small plate. It glistened with what looked like sugar, but who could really know off-world? She almost declined, but hesitated when she caught the looks of several people who were watching them curiously. Would it be rude to decline the offer of food? Was that a huge cultural taboo?

Erring on the side of caution, Darcy gave a little nod and accepted the plate, her fingers wrapping around the pastry. It flaked a little under the pressure of her hand, but the cake, itself, felt doughy and smooth. Taking a bite, Darcy winced at the pain at the back of her jaw, the sugar content far higher than she expected. Chewing was difficult, the density of the cake and the sweetness of the icing all combining to riot at the back of her throat. She managed to swallow and give a slight smile.

"Um, thank you." Darcy. Queen of eloquence.

"You are most welcome," he replied. "What is your name, fair creature?"

Lifting a brow, Darcy answered in what she hoped was not in any way reflective of her inner amusement, "Darcy Lewis."

He rolled the name around in his mouth and Darcy had to stop the inclination to sigh with the understanding that she was being hit on. He reminded her a lot of Tony when he wanted something, a smile and a flirt going a long way with most people, falling short with one patented Darcy glare. Lucky for her, she'd had enough experience playing this field while working as Tony's assistant that she was taking it all in stride.

"Yes. Darcy Lewis," she repeated. "Guardian extraordinaire."

"A Guardian?" he asked, taking the plate from her and placing a kind of fruit. "Do taste this."

Sighing a little, Darcy took the plate from him and picked up a piece of the fruit between her first two fingers, "Yes. Means that I work magic."

His laugh was self indulgent, "We all work magic here, Darcy Lewis."

She cringed, wondering how advanced the natives were at working spells. There was a kind of energy coming from the guy next to her, pressed gently but insistently against her own magical field. She repelled it easily, surprised when it resurged just a little bit more eagerly. Batting it away, Darcy fixed him with a look that she knew would curdle dairy.

"I think I need to find my date. Thank you for the food."

A hand reached out to touch her forearm and she felt magic dancing along her skin, "A lover who would leave his lady to fend for herself in the dining hall is not worthy of you."

Brows lowering, Darcy frowned, "Why don't you let me be the judge of that, yeah?"

"Merely an observation, lovely creature," he replied airily, "An observation from the outside can be worth so much more than from the inside, yes?"

Jaw clenching, Darcy rose, "Yes, but an observation from a class A d-bag is to be discarded entirely, don't you think?"

She didn't wait for him to process the colloquialism. Walking away felt like victory and Darcy was determined to enjoy the shocked and confused look on his face until she saw the dark expression on _Loki's_ face as he looked on from across the room. Blowing out a breath, she approached him, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"So, did we get what we needed?"

"Did you?" Was his immediate reply.

Eyes narrow, Darcy bit out, "What is wrong with you?"

He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. _Dismissed._ Darcy felt rage boil up inside her, any pleasant feelings having evaporated with the simple gesture. Unconsciously, she loosened the ties between them, sealing her magic inside her as a defense mechanism. As with the other Guardians, Darcy had an active engagement with Loki and his magic whenever they were near, and often when they were not. If he noticed her withdrawal, he didn't show it, his eyes already scanning the crowd. Darcy felt her rage settle deep and she knew they were in for a fight the next time they were alone. Her lip curled. Bring. It. On.

Apparently, Loki had been granted the expressed permission from Alfheim's ruler to practice magic without a specific license to do so. Spell work was regulated fiercely here and to scry for the Earth Mother would mean prison, possibly execution, by their laws. Darcy touched her neck, picturing the gruesome blade of a guillotine, despite the fact that there didn't seem to be a blade in sight. The Light Elves did not believe in weaponry of that kind, magic being their greatest asset.

They were led to a small room where Loki laid out the map, bowl, and crystal. As with Vanaheim, the Earth Mother was nowhere to be found. Loki thanked the servant girl politely before taking her hand and heading out. The afternoon sun was dipping low to the evening sunset, the cloud taking on a purplish orange color that, had Darcy been thinking about anything other than knocking Loki down a peg or two, would have astonished her. She gripped his hand out of necessity, not knowing where they were going or what they were doing. Shoes slipping on the cloud matter beneath her, she stumbled into his body as he turned, power surging through her without warning.

The sun dissipated, the steady warm air winding into cold so stark that Darcy was unable to catch her breath. She braced her palms on her knees, trying to get her bearings. It was nighttime. It was fucking cold. And Loki was stomping away from her into what looked like a whirl of snow.

"Hey!" She yelled, her voice gruff. "The fuck was that?"

He turned so that she could see his profile, his low voice ringing out over the wind, "We have to keep moving."

Feet digging into the ice and snow, Darcy dropped into a crouch and, tracing a little glyph on each leg, powered herself into his back and tackled him to the ground.

"What," she growled, "the ever loving_ fuck_ is wrong with you?"

The snow was like blades against her palms, but Darcy's righteous anger flooded her system with adrenaline and she barely felt it

Eyes like flint, he replied easily, "You tell me."

"Jesus Christ, Loki," she called to the sky, sitting back on her heels, her hands on his chest. "Are you seriously going to do this with me now? When Jane's life is on the line?"

He glared at her and she could see the slight change of expression that signaled a hurt she hadn't seen before, "You started it."

Angry, she retorted, "You're not four years old, Loki. Talk to me like an adult."

Her voice, at the end of the sentence, lightened to the point of a soft whisper, her brows drawing together in a plea.

Loki's hands gripped her knees, fingers flexing until the muscle twitched involuntarily. "We need to find shelter. You'll freeze in a moment."

Her hands were cold, her bones already aching, "Okay, but then you talk—and I mean talk, mister."

Their shelter was a cave that turned inwards on itself so that the wind couldn't get inside, a small fire little consolation against the biting cold that remained. Darcy dropped her pack on the ground and crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation. She watched at Loki stoked the fire a little, the flames glinting in his eyes. His hair was crusted with frost and snow, his pale skin pulled tight across his cheekbones. She gripped her biceps tightly, clenching her jaw in refusal to back down. Ever since they'd started this whole trip, he'd run hot and cold, genial and then angry. There was no way they were going to leave this cave without working out exactly what was going on in that crazy smart brain of his.

"I'm waiting," she prompted impatiently.

"I'm thinking," he taunted in return, voice deceptively calm.

Darcy rolled her tongue around in her mouth, running it over her molars and incisors while she waited, patience growing very thin in the wake of his irritating calmness. He stoked the fire further, pressing his hands to his knees as he stood, the shadows of the flames accentuating the sharp angles of his cheekbones and jaw line. A sudden fear overtook her—his regular absences, his aloof attitude, the very mercurial nature that initially drew her to him.

This asshole was going to break up with her.

In a cave.

On another _goddamn_ _planet._

And they still had one more planet to go to before she could get back to the safety of her own non-alien people.

Shaking her head, Darcy dropped her eyes to the ground and steeled herself, willing every defense to rise into place to protect the heart she knew would break into a literal thousand pieces once he got it over with.

Loki sighed, "The past months have been tense. Odin continues to drive impossible agendas through the council, seeking to solidify Asgard's place amongst the realms. Thor lacks the diplomacy to effectively smooth diplomatic adversaries and the task has been left to me. I have been neglecting you."

Darcy lifted a brow, willing him silently to continue. She would give him nothing, no ounce of support or conflict. Loki would be completely on his own for this one.

He continued, his shoulders rounding downwards in a way that was not unfamiliar to her. Loki was feeling shame, discomfort, disappointment.

"These kinds of talks about alliances and treaties can take decades, centuries if the mood strikes them—I do not foresee how this would be any different. The Dark Elves will want to speak their own piece, and by all rights we should let them. Malekith is no diplomat, but he commands their entire army, the mass of which is still very powerful."

Letting out a breath, Darcy paced around the fire, placing it squarely between them. She consciously kept her expression hard and unyielding, unwilling to break for even a moment lest she give ground.

"Things between us," he muttered, "Will likely remain as they are. Me, on Asgard. You, on Midgard."

_This is it,_ Darcy thought with an internal sneer. _Ye old rejection._ It was amazing that, after all of the strides she'd made in her own self confidence, the leadership she'd attained with the Guardians, Darcy still felt past hurts welling up right beside the fissure in the center of her chest. She pushed it down viciously.

"Unless," Loki urged, hands coming up in an entreating gesture.

Darcy's eyes narrowed, her expression flinching. She cast him a look of nothing but suspicion, jaw locked tight.

"Unless," he enunciated again, quite clearly, his gaze lighting from within with mischief. "There is a position open for a Midgardian ambassador. Your Coulson feels you would be an excellent voice for your people."

She looked ridiculous. Darcy knew she did. Her jaw was unhinged and aching slightly from the pressure between her teeth. Her eyes were wide with shock and confusion. Her arms had fallen uselessly beside her. She looked ridiculous—and she had every right to look ridiculous with the curveball he'd just lobbed into her court.

"Seriously?" Was all she could say. "Aren't you worried I'd accidentally start a war or something? What about Claire? Isn't she the one who handles these…meeting… things?"

Eloquent. Just like an ambassador should be.

"I think you'll find that Coulson is not willing to let his lover stray too far away from him. Hence, a counter recommendation."

She rolled her eyes, "So they did offer the job to Claire first."

His head lolled a little to the side in a quiet acquiescence, followed by a small dismissive gesture of his hand, "Details, darling. The point is that the position is being offered to you now. Will you accept?"

Darcy's mind whirred with the new information and the understanding that he wasn't breaking up with her and was, in fact, offering her kind of a promotion. Yep, definitely a promotion. Where once she would have jumped on the opportunity, she balked a little, her tongue suddenly stuck to the roof of her mouth.

"Can I think about it?" She managed weakly.

Loki's expression softened, "Yes."

"Good," Darcy croaked, nodding a little. She spent a moment, not really knowing what to do with herself and standing awkwardly in silence. Loki was looking at her strangely, as if trying to read her thoughts (a feat that wasn't possible, she checked). r him to take a

"What is it?" Loki asked.

Darcy shook her head quickly, "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Lifting a brow, Loki circled the fire and reached out for her, "Darcy."

She pulled away, squinting at him as the fire shadowed his features, "Don't 'Darcy' me. You've been an ass hat for, like, the whole trip. I thought…" She took a deep breath, "I thought you were going to leave me."

Loki's expression turned surprised. He moved forward and embraced her, tangling one hand in her hair and sliding the other around her waist to hold her next to him. Darcy swallowed back the little lump in the back of her throat, the stress of everything wanting to well up inside her.

"Darcy," he intoned lowly, "I would never leave you."  
>She felt herself sob, "But you will—or I will, eventually."<p>

"Nonsense," was his reply.

"It's true," Darcy cried out, stamping her foot. When he chuckled, she hit her fist against his bicep, "Don't make fun of me."

Loki pulled away, guiding her back towards the fire where he laid out a blanket for them to sit on. "I do not laugh in jest, Darcy. Tell me."

Plopping down on the blanket, Darcy fiddled with her hands, saying meekly, "I'm mortal, Loki."

"Ah," he replied evenly, "That is easily fixed."

She felt something tighten in her chest, "How?"

Loki took her hand, holding it between both of his own, "You recall Thor's marriage to Lady Jane?"

Darcy noticed that he'd used Jane's official title, a rarity. She nodded reluctantly.

"The ceremony was not without its purposes. I told you it would bind them, did I not?"

She thought about it, trying to work out exactly what it was that Loki was trying to convey. The memory of the binding, the blood, the bowl, the incantations came unbidden and fuzzy with emotion and the decay of time.

Loki leaned in, "This is not a ceremony that is taken lightly, but it can be done."

Darcy blinked at him, "What exactly are you suggesting? What does the ceremony do?"

The heavy air settled on her shoulders and Darcy knew this was exactly what she had been waiting for, what had been coming all along. Her heart doubled its tempo, her lungs working to keep air flowing in and out.

"It does what it was intended to do," he replied, "It binds irrevocably."

"Forever," dropped from her lips before she could catch it. Darcy wanted to rein it in, but it hung in the space before her, waiting.

He ran a finger over her jaw line, touching her chin briefly, "Yes."

Taken aback, Darcy dropped her eyes to her hands, "Is this a proposal?"

Wary, Loki nodded, his eyes guarded.

She was sitting in the middle of a cave on an ice realm that had to be Jotunheim, her friend lying worlds away filled with an ancient parasite, and her boyfriend had just given her a proposal of marriage. Darcy did her best to wrap her mind around the strange turning of events, though she should have grown used to Loki's characteristic ability to surprise her. Nothing about this trip was going to way she thought it might, leaving her far more tired than a simple few days' work.

Her expression must have shown her weariness because Loki's guarded eyes grew cold and distant. He gently pulled his hands from hers, a palpable chill ghosting over her skin despite the fire. Darcy hastened to take his hand again, rising to her knees.

"No, no," she urged, "I'm just a little overwhelmed right now."

Loki blinked, "I see."

"No, you really don't," Darcy countered. "My bestie is dying, I'm on a trip around the nine realms, and you're offering to marry me. I mean, I've been putting off picking up my dry cleaning for a month."

Scratching at the back of his head, he admitted, "Clearly, I do not see."

"Exactly."

The conversation dissolved into silence, the pair still holding hands. Darcy could feel that Loki was completely locked away, an instinctive protection against perceived hurt. She felt like hell for her hesitation, but eternity was a concept that, quite frankly, blew her ever loving mind. Five years was a good run for her, especially given the special circumstances of their relationship. But, this was a commitment of epic proportions and Darcy found old insecurities and fears come back to the forefront.

"This is kind of a big deal, Loki."

His mouth pressed thin until the seams of his lips turned white, "I am aware."

She cleared her throat, "And you didn't think that giving me a heads up would be a good idea?"

Scoffing, Loki regarded her with wry amusement, "This was unplanned."

"Obviously," Darcy drawled. Then, "I don't know what to say."

Loki took her free hand, "Say yes."

She opened her mouth, looking at him with wide eyes. Darcy loved him, had loved him through demons, gods, and near apocalypses. She had loved the taste of his magic and the comfort he gave when she wanted to fall apart. It was in his arms where she felt the safest, in his presence where she learned and grew, fighting by his side and being more herself than she had ever been. Was there more that she wanted?

"Okay," Darcy breathed in a sudden burst of irreparable, insane bravery. "Let's do this."

Eyes glinting, Loki leaned in, "Yes?"

She smiled, "Yes."

Loki's face brightened so openly that his magic flared out into the room, the fire bursting up towards the ceiling of the cave with his emotion. Darcy accepting his fierce hug, rolling with him to the floor. Her hair caught on his elbow, the pain minimal compared to their combined joy. Now several feet from the fire, Darcy shivered with the cold, but couldn't keep the smile from her face. Her feelings poured through her, bouncing along her insides until they bubbled forth in a delighted laugh.

Then, quite suddenly, she was slapping at his chest, "You asshole. You made me think you were going to break up with me."

Catching her hands, Loki shook his head, "I have no intention of ever letting you go."

Darcy continued to wrench her hands, angry and elated all at the same time. She wanted to kick his ass just as much as she wanted to kiss him. What she ended up doing was rolling around with him, half playfully, until she was lying atop him several feet from the fire. Head resting on Loki's chest, Darcy played with the little ties on his heavy jacket, her eyes catching on her empty ring finger.

"You know a proposal usually comes with bling, right?"

Loki ran his long fingers through her hair, humming questioningly.

"Bling," Darcy repeated. "A diamond—like the one on Jane's hand." She paused, "You're teasing me, aren't you?"  
>His chuckle rumbled beneath her head, "I promise you, as soon as we reach Asgard, you will receive the appropriate gift of bling."<br>The words sounded so strange coming from his lips that Darcy was set alight with giggling, her head lifting from his chest. Adjusting her glasses, she leaned down to press a simple kiss to his mouth. As was his way, Loki quickly took control, rolling her beneath him and delivering a response so fierce that Darcy felt the tingle down all the way to her curling toes. His tongue traced the seam off her lips, dipping inside teasingly. Darcy smiled, hands gripping as much of the leather above her as she could.

Pressure from his fingertips travelled down her neck and over the heavy cloth of her coat, pulling at the material until it was unceremoniously tossed aside. Without the thick wool, Darcy began to shiver almost immediately, her skin inflaming with the cold.

"Nope," she cried, scrambling to pull her jacket back over her shoulders. "Darcy does not do freezing temperatures, not even for celebratory sex."

Loki dropped his head to his palm, his body resting on the anchor of his elbow, "Darling."

Darcy shook her head, zipping up her coat and fluffing her hair, "Don't 'darling' me. The only reason I'm not a magical popsicle right now is due to that fire."

With a deep sigh, Loki lifted a hand and gave an elaborate gesture. The fire flared, heat infusing to the room. Gradually, Darcy could feel the toasty air seep into her clothes and warm the limbs that had been steadily growing colder over the last hour or so. She let out a long breath, happy that she now had feeling in her hands and toes.

"Better?" Loki asked, an innocent smile plastered all over his not-so-innocent visage.

Darcy nodded, rolling her shoulders happily. "So much better."

"Good. Now, back to business."

Before she could process the sentence, Darcy was dragged by a booted foot towards the fire, hands crawling up her body to put her right where Loki thought was best.

Laughing, she retorted, "Oh, I'm business, am I?"

Looking down at her, Loki's features were all sharp angles in the shimming firelight. Darcy blinked slowly up at him, relaxed and happy. It seemed like the pressure of the last few days—if she were honest, months—was washed away by the look of love in his eyes.

"Oh yes," he breathed. "You are the most serious of business."

Embarrassingly, Darcy's eyes began to water, her feelings overwhelming her. "Shut up."

With a small nod and a knowing light in his eyes, he simply replied, "Absolutely."

Mouth dropping to her neck, Loki once more began to pull her clothes aside, grasping her curves to pull her more firmly against him. Darcy smiled up at the ceiling of the cave, reaching for familiar clasps and buckles until the first layer of leather was shoved over his shoulders. Though Darcy certainly wasn't considering their mutual disrobing a competition, she was certainly losing this race. By the time she was working on pulling his tunic from the waistband of his trousers, Darcy was down to her underwear and sports bra (worn simply because she knew there would be running on their trip).

"Do you require assistance?" He mocked gently.

Darcy gave a low grunt of frustration, "I _require_ that you quite wearing such complicated clothing so I can fuck you faster."

Loki's laughed, pushing up from her to work at the fastenings of his pants, lifting his arms so that Darcy could get his shirt off him. As he slipped his thumbs into the waistband, Loki froze, a soft noise coming from his throat.

Eyebrows drawing together, Darcy touched his chest, "What?"

Unresponsive, Loki simply sat very still, an expression of concentration hardening his face until she could hear his teeth grinding.

"Hey," she called out, "Are you okay?" Carefully, she prodded his sternum, trying to catch his attention.

Loki scrambled away on his hands and knees, "Don't touch me."

She held up her hands defensively, "Okay, no touching. Got it. Mind telling me what the hell just happened?"

"Too much."

That was it: two words for an explanation. Darcy dropped her hands to her thighs, glad that she still had some clothes on. Loki kept his gaze on the ground, fingers digging into the stone beneath him. Not wanting to be a complete asshole, Darcy did her best to wait him out, but his continued silence was seriously freaking her out.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she sighed, "You've got to give me something, Loki."

Sweat broke out over his brow, his body shaking. It was at this point that Darcy began to worry. Slowly, she crawled over to him, one hand reaching out towards him.

Hissing, Loki pulled further away, his eyes flashing, "Don't."

"Oh my god," Darcy griped, "What the hell is going on?"

Rolling over, Loki pulled his knees up, pushing his hands through his hair, "I have exhausted myself."

Brows rising, Darcy edged, "I'm sure we can get around that. I mean, it happens to everybody eventually."

"You misunderstand," he whispered, turning his hand over and presenting it to her.

The skin over his palm was damp and looked bruised, the color spreading to his wrist. Darcy squinted at it, jaw dropping as the blue ran all the way up his forearm to his bicep. Her mind flipped back a few years to a cold medical room where she'd last seen this particular shade of blue. He'd said back then that magical exhaustion could reveal the Frost Giant inside him, but Darcy had yet to get a second glimpse of his true form in the last five years.

She nodded, "I can work with this."

His red eyes were angry, "Do not mock me."

Shrugging, Darcy shot back, "I'm not mocking you. I can definitely work with this."

And that was the truth.

**How will she work with it? Just wait for the next chapter. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Here you go. I do hope you're satisfied. :)**

Darcy sat beside a fire that was magically enhanced to fill the air of a frigid cave on an alien ice planet with her brand new fiancé. She was desperately trying not to laugh while also desperately trying to figure out how to get him to have sex with her. It was interesting to try to pose sexily while working to give her aching cheeks a rest.

"It's not that bad," she tried, letting a small smile through.

Loki sighed helplessly, hands hanging limply over his knees, "You're not helping."

Rolling her eyes, Darcy moved a little closer, her voice dropping an octave, "I can try other things to help."

Finally lifting his shoulders, Loki leveled an indulgent look at her, "You would only hurt yourself."

"Says who," she chirped in challenge, "I have it on good authority that I'm pretty sturdy."

Saying nothing, Loki lifted his hand over the flames, an angry hiss of steam rising from the digits. "I am Jotun, Darcy. I would freeze the skin off your bones in seconds. Imagine what more than a few minutes would do."

Chewing on her lips, she murmured, "Now that is a problem." Then, "You know what, I'll figure it out."

Every advance she tried to make was met with an agile deflection and retreat from her lover. Darcy feinted, rolled, and grabbed, only succeeding in grasping empty air. She scrambled one way and another, growing frustrated by his continued avoidance.

"Oh come on," she pleaded with a whine, "Let me try."

Loki was adamant, "This isn't up for discussion."

She huffed, "Everything is up for discussion. We're discussing it right now." She held up a hand, "See? Discussing."

"I mean it, Darcy," he urged, the strange etchings on his skin flexing as he moved about the room.

"I mean it, too," was her retort, her humor finally getting the better of her, a laugh falling from her lips. She gave a short wave, hoping to allay his discomfort.

Loki turned a sneer towards her, "I'll ask you not to laugh at me."

Evidently, she did not succeed.

Darcy's grin, however, was wide and unrepentant, "Then laugh with me."

Leaning back against the wall of the cave, Loki's shoulders dropped in defeat, "I find myself in ill humor."  
>With a little sigh, Darcy crawled over and sat next to him, resisting the urge to nudge him with her shoulder. They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound the crackle of the fire hitting the walls and ceilings, bouncing back to them in echo. Darcy wracked her brain for something to help alleviate the Debbie Downer mood that had taken over. Most couples would be having raucous sex following a proposal of marriage—her fiancé had turned violet. The Oompa Loompa song threatened to take over, but Darcy tackled it into submission, trying to focus on the problem at hand.<p>

Hand.

Darcy could work with hands.

Spinning on the generous pillow of her ass, Darcy scooted a little so that she was facing Loki, her toes slipping between the legs on which he braced his elbows. With a carefully neutral expression, she observed her love. He was returning her gaze with interest, his fingers flexing ever so slightly. Darcy could tell that he was bracing for an attack of some kind, but she was pretty sure he'd never see this coming.

"We're supposed to be celebrating," Darcy explained very clearly, "I _did_ just agree to marry you—for, you know, ever."

Jaw working, he gritted out, "I am aware."

She nodded, "That's good. So, you'll agree that we should be happy right now?"

Wary, Loki gave a stiff nod.

"Perfect." With grace that would have rivaled a baby giraffe, Darcy flung a leg over each of his clothed knees and leaned back on her elbows, "Open your pants."

For half a second, Darcy was graced with Loki's incredulous expression, which satisfied her deeply. His jaw was unhinged, red eyes wide in shock. The markings above his eyebrows wrinkled slightly with the shift in skin, leaving him looking both comical and adorable.

Drawing in a breath, he replied, "That is out of the question."

She shrugged, "I'm not going to touch you."

He scoffed, "Then I don't understand the point of your request."

Annoyance colored his tone, leaving Darcy cocking her head to the side and widening her eyes pointedly in a silent plea for further indulgence of what she knew he considered one of her 'whims'. Slowly, Darcy drew her hands down the length of her legs, caressing her skin in a smooth stroke. She fluttered her fingertips over the band of her underwear and up over the mounds of her breasts until they carded through her hair, the curls tumbling back down over her shoulders.

"I may not be able to touch, but you can."

Comprehension dawned on him like every genius idea, his expression opening in incremental stages while Darcy simply smiled. She reached back and unhooked her bra, leaving the cups sagging just a little.

"What do you say you even the score a little?"

Loki's eyes were focused intently on her chest, his hands pulling at his shirt. When the fabric was tossed aside, he gave a little turn to his wrist. She shook her head, holding the cups of her bra in place.

"I believe I made a request."

Lip disappearing between his teeth, Loki dragged his fingers over the clasp of his trousers, hurriedly opening them. When he lifted his brows, Darcy's smile widened.

He read her wordless indication, matching her smile with his trademark smirk, "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours."

She laughed, "Sweet talker."

"So I've heard," he replied, pulling ever so slightly on the material beneath his fingertips.

Darcy caught a glance at the dark hair that lead downwards, but the skin she most wanted to see remained hidden away. She relented only because she was tired of waiting, letting her bra fall off and to the side, relishing the soft intake of breath from her partner.

"Now, are you going to even the score," she asked lowly, one hand tracing her thigh and ghosting over her pubic bone, "Or am I going to have to start this show without you."

Faster than she could have imagined, Loki had his pants pulled down as far as they would go, their path hindered by his boots. He left them tucked neatly around his calves before leaning back against the walls.

"Your underwear," he gritted out, "Take it off."

Darcy complied as daintily as she was able, given the fact that she was sitting on a cave floor. Then, in an act of bravery that really shouldn't have required as much courage given the fact that he'd seen her naked regularly for the last five years, Darcy flexed her legs over his calves. Her skin safely protected from him, she leaned back on her elbows. From her vantage point, she had a clear view of him from head to knees, the rigid curve of his cock laying flat against his belly.

Carefully, Darcy dipped her fingers down, touching gently at the wet folds and rubbing from bottom to top. She swirled around her clit, flexing her hand so that on the downward stroke the heel of her palm brushed the sensitive skin. Her first two digits widened again on the upward movement, parting her for his gaze. Darcy watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard, the tendons along his arms flexing.

She teased him (and herself) with shallow thrusts, the muscle of her legs relaxing as her body warmed. Everything seemed to add to the stimulation—the heat from the fire, the rock beneath her, the leather of his pants—all of it was a buffet of sensory wonders that left her panting. Most of all was the strange eroticism that was present in the very act of watching Loki run his thumb over the head, fingers wrapped around the shaft.

Spurred by the sight, Darcy pushed up so that she was anchored on her palm. Skin slick and panting, she let out a low moan. Her body was shaking, blood pumping through every vein and artery, plumping her skin and sensitizing her nerves until her own touch was almost too much. Her fingers slowed, sliding out to slip along the outer edges of her folds. With a purposeful movement, she arched her back, tilting her breasts upwards to tease.

"No," he called out, his free hand reaching out and stopping short. "Don't slow down."

Biting her lip, Darcy squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. The plunge down towards her orgasm was fast, far faster than she was prepared to feel, but she attributed it to the newness of the act. Her heels pressed against the floor as her body convulsed, pleasure coursing down her spine. She yelped through the feeling, falling onto her back and smiling up at the ceiling. Then, remembering that there were other things that could take up her concentration.

Rising, Darcy swung her legs around and settled onto her knees, watching the movements of Loki's hands. Mindful of his skin, she grasped his ankles and pulled until his legs were lying flat on the rock below. Then, she straddled them and leaned forward until her hands were pressed onto the wall on either side of his head. He arched his head backwards, hitting against the wall in an effort to scramble away.

Hunkering down and still careful of his skin, Darcy placed her lips as closely as she dared to his ear and whispered urgently, "One of these days I'm going to figure out how to fuck you like this. I'm going to climb right on top and ride you until your eyes roll back."

The arm working beneath her sped up, his breath puffing out against her shoulder, freezing the skin. Darcy let her back arch a little, presenting what she considered her best physical assets to him once more. His skin was flushed with a purple hue, the red of his eyes focused on her body. Her hair fell over her shoulders to drop inches from his arm. She tilted her head to the side to lower the strands just a little more. Loki sucked in a breath, stomach flexing as he tried to keep the contact away.

Smiling, Darcy pulled her hair back over her shoulder, widening her stance as much as she dared. Palming her breasts, she pushed them up , thumbs swiping over her nipples. Fingers bending around her skin, she traced down the center line of her body over her belly button and back down her thighs. On the up stroke, Loki's hips moved, rotating a little as if trying the reach her. His jaw tilted up and his eyes went half-lidded. It was then that she knew she had him.

Darcy slapped her hands back to their place on the wall, "You wish you could touch me, don't you? Wish you could throw me down and fuck me. Feel my hands on you, pulling at you, pushing back at you until you're inside."

Below her, she could see his body arching, his hips pushing his erection through the closed circle of his fist. She curled her hands against the cave wall, fighting the urge to help him along. Her name rang out by her ear, a ragged moan.

"You know how I know?" She asked, blowing out a focused breath against his neck. He shivered beneath her with a stilted groan.

"I know," Darcy continued, "Because I want to touch you so much. Because I want it to be my hand working you over, want it to be my mouth wrapped around you. I want to feel you come inside me."  
>That seemed to be exactly what he needed, because suddenly he was coming, his body curling a little with the sensation. She watched as his cock pulsed, his come splattering his stomach. For a moment, everything was still, their breaths evening as the seconds ticked by. Then, Darcy hoisted herself up and moved about the room to gather her clothing. As much his magic had warmed the cave, the air was still cool to sweat-slick skin.<p>

"That was fun," Loki commented, the smile apparent in his voice, as if he'd discovered a new game he rather enjoyed.

Darcy looked back at him from over her shoulder, "We should do it again sometime."

There was a snort and the rustle of fabric as he pulled his pants back over his hips, "Enjoyable as it was, I would rather be inside you."

Turning, Darcy cocked out a hip, her heavy jacket hanging from her fingertips, "Think of it as a spicy alternative of our favorite dish."

Loki ran his hand through his hair, "It should not surprise me that you compare sex to food."

"Hey," she replied in mock offense, "Everyone does it. Humans have been linking sex and food since the dawn of time."

He pulled on his tunic and the leather jacket, "I'll leave explanations of the inner workings up to you."

"As you should," she responded primly.

Her body was tired and her knees hurt a little from pressing into the rock for so long. Darcy settled back onto the soft pallet that would serve as their bed, her gaze falling on the fire. In her peripheral, she could see Loki doing the same.

"What do we do now?"

Loki chuckled, "We sleep, Darcy-love. We sleep. Tomorrow, we must sneak into the bowels of Jotunheim's capital city. A quick stop in the room of armor, a quick spell, and then we head back to Asgard."

Darcy swallowed, "Are there any other worlds we can go to? To look for the Earth Mother?"

"No," he murmured, "There are no other inhabited worlds in the nine realms. We would not survive a visit to the others. No one could. Only demons and the dead may go there."

She sighed, "So this is it."

"This is it," Loki confirmed.

Darcy woke feeling rather rumpled and annoyed. Her hair was in her face and it was once again cold in the cave. She was wrapped in her coat and her boots were back on her feet. Loki was nowhere to be found. Craning her neck, Darcy looked around for him, taking in the smoldering embers of the fire and the neatly packed bags off to the side. Clearly, he had been busy.

Pulling the blanket around her—the magic of the previous night had worn off—Darcy sat up and grabbed for her glasses, pushing them over her ears.

"Hello?" she croaked, wincing at the hoarse, edgy sound.

There was nothing but an echo in reply. Standing, Darcy trudged out towards the entrance of the cave, her hand shielding her eyes from the sharp overcast skies. There wasn't exactly sunshine dispersed over the mountains, but some kind of light reflected harshly at her. Squinting, she almost called out again, but thought better of it. There were all kinds of strange beasts in the nine realms and not all of them were friendly.

Darcy continued to stand at the entrance, peering around, until she spotted a dark form ambling towards her. Given that Jotuns were giant blue ice creatures, she figured that the slightly smaller, dark haired and fair skinned man was exactly who she wanted to see. Patiently as she could, she waited for Loki to traverse the barely visible trail to her.

"Good morning," Darcy greeted with a smile, stepping back into the cave and out of the wind.

Loki gave a short nod of greeting, "How did you sleep?"

Looking upwards, Darcy pretended to think for a moment, "Well, I would have slept a lot better if I didn't wake up all by myself."

It was said with no venom, just a teasing lilt that she knew he could hear plain as the snow on their boots.

"My apologies," he demurred with a little bow, "I thought it prudent to scout a trail towards the capital city."

Darcy began to fold the blanket, "Find anything?"

"Of course," he replied, as if the answer was obvious.

She thought that it was probably obvious that his answer was obvious, given that he'd spent years developing his secret passageways between worlds. Loki was exceptionally good at observing the cultural norms of others, though adopting them was something of a difficulty. Apparently, Asgard was the kind of society that drilled etiquette into students' heads at a young age. It was only recently, that Darcy got Loki to eat pizza with his hands. Anything larger than his palm automatically necessitated the use of utensils.

After donning every piece of spare clothing she had in her bag, including four pairs of underwear, Darcy followed Loki out into the snow. Her boots crunched beneath her, but she was able to keep up with Loki's longer stride. He led her down along a steep drop off, the trail winding downwards towards what could have been a ravine if there weren't so much snow around. Darcy sniffed, the cold air stinging her lungs. She cast a small warming spell over her head, the effort giving her minimal relief. Not knowing just what they were going to walk into, she couldn't spare much more magical energy—she was, after all, flying by the seat of her pants.

Loki pressed bodily into the cliff face and disappeared, leaving Darcy standing there gaping at the air. She leaned forward, balancing carefully with a mitten covered palm on the rock by her head. A moment later, Loki's smiling face peeked out at her, his hand sliding forward to grasp her wrist and tug her forward. Darcy's resistance was miniscule at best, her feet taking her forward into a very well concealed crevice. She pushed through and tilted her body to the side, easing into a small alcove lit only by the sun from the outside. Absently, she wished for her cell phone and the very effective flashlight app just one swipe to the left of her home screen.

Already left behind, Darcy stumbled forward and followed Loki's retreating form, squinting in the darkness. Her fingers curled in half a motion to summon a small ball of light. As if feeling her gathering energy, Loki reached back and stayed her.

"We'll be near the palace shortly. Jotuns aren't magic workers, but we can't chance being seen."

Darcy nodded, "Where, exactly, are we headed in the palace?"

Loki leaned around a small bend, saying, "There is a room near the armory, where the cask was kept before Asgard defeated them in war. Inside is also a small mirror we can use to scry the whole of the planet with."

Nodding despite the fact that Loki wasn't even looking at her, Darcy bit her lip and considered their path. The small cave like alcove had opened up to a cavernous abyss, a thin bridge of stone connecting one cliff face from the next. She swallowed down her hesitation, walking carefully forward. The stone seemed solid enough, but she'd seen this movie before and she wasn't going to be taking any chances. Gingerly, she tip toed across the bridge, proud of herself for not falling to her death in a dramatic wash of darkness and terror.

Once on the other side, Loki moved more quickly, his agile steps taking them ever deeper, until there was so little light left for Darcy to see that she relied on the faint glints off Loki's armor to discern their path. Several minutes of tense, silent hiking later, Darcy was blinking up at a massive door of carved stone. The rock depicted the ominous peak of a mountain, a Jotun warrior standing on each side. At the very top stood a spiraling, twisted metal sconce that gave off a soft warm glow.

Blindly, Loki grasped her hand and, with a short glance of warning, teleported them into the room. Darcy, having traveled this way many times in the past few days, still had to bend over in an effort not to revisit her last meal all over her boots. When she blinked away the tears, catching sight of Loki leaning down to pull a heavy throw of leather from over the top of a stone of shining black marble.

"That doesn't look like a mirror," Darcy commented as she approached, wiping absently at her eyes.

Loki smirked, "Perhaps mirror was an inappropriate adjective."

Dismissing the School House Rock diddy that threatened to fly out of her mouth, Darcy replied, "What would be an appropriate adjective?"

He brushed his hand over the stone, "The word doesn't translate well."

"Ah," she intoned lightly, one hand touching the marbleized structure. "So… should we do this or what?"

Wordlessly, Loki reached into his bag and pulled out the scrying crystal, holding it aloft. A moment later, he was chanting softly. Darcy eyed the crystal with something akin to desperation. She prayed, she clenched her fists, she chanted along with her lover. Stubbornly, the crystal refused to budge. Loki chanted a few minutes more, until the smell of his magic permeated the air.

Defeated, Darcy touched his arm, "Let's go. Jane needs us now."

Loki looked down at her, his eyes wide and unguarded. His hand gripped the chain tightly, jaw set like granite. Darcy tugged at him a little.

"It's okay. She's not here, either. We can try something else when we get back to Asgard."

With an unexpected reluctance, Loki pushed the crystal back into his pack and hoisted it onto his back.

"We need to get clear of the palace before I can get us back."

Darcy nodded and turned, groaning in frustration at the two guards standing near the doors, long spear-like weapons in their hands.

"Of course," she sighed. "Of course we get almost all the way through our shit, and we get stopped by…" She eyes them, "Burt and Ernie."

It wasn't the most verbose or eloquent of descriptions, but she was tired and depressed at her failure. She couldn't be blamed for a lack of imagination at this point in her day. Throwing down her pack, she squared off with them, her lip curling as her feelings transitioned into angry frustration.

"Bring it on, bitches!" She yelled, throwing the first spell as she lunged forward.

Beside her, she could hear Loki laughing, his own spells circling around them defensively. The Jotuns stomped forward and it was then that Darcy realized why they were sometimes referred to as Ice Giants. From a distance, they looked pretty menacing. Up close, they were literally mountains of muscle and blistering cold. She felt her skin prickle with their nearness, her defenses up immediately. One of them swung out at her, the spear glancing off her pack, knocking the air out of her lungs. She ducked, rolled, and grabbed at a shield sitting on a low table. The second blow was expected and blocked as well as she could manage with a weapon completely unfamiliar to her.

Nearby, Loki was knocking down a series of large urns, using the crashing pieces as tiny missiles that he levitated and flung out at his opponent. Darcy slid on her knees across the smooth floor, slamming her hand down and pressing a rather childish spell to the stone. The guard nearest to her slipped and stumbled, feet sliding across the now oil-slick surface. She smiled as he landed on his ass, a groan of pain rumbling from his massive body.

Using the shield at her arm, Darcy ran and belly flopped, the metal squealing below her, but slipping along towards the far wall. Standing, she opened the tall window, turning to find Loki throwing a dagger into the skin of his attacker, the metal sliding into a bulging thigh.

"Loki," she cried, "Let's go!"

Quickly, he located her and, thinking fast, caught her drift and burst into a sprint towards her. He didn't slow as he approached, using the momentum to propel them bodily through the open window into the snow outside. They dropped only a few feet, falling down the steep slope on fresh powder until they landed in a heap at the bottom.

Darcy sat up, pushing her hair out of her face and feeling the cold sting at her ears. Loki, for his part, looked decidedly rumpled, but he recovered quickly, grabbing her hand.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Hell yes," she replied, and then they were blasting through whatever wormhole he'd created, falling into a whole other world.

The heat of Asgard pressed into her, the howling wind of Jotunheim fading away to birdsong. Darcy breathed hard, her heart beating staccato in her chest. Her eyes were squeezed shut despite the fact that she knew they were safe for the moment. Loki was still holding her, seeming to understand that she wasn't quite ready to let go.

Her body calmed, but her mind was racing. There were so many factors now that had been eliminated in their mission. It seemed that there was only one option left to her so that her friend would be saved. Darcy thought about the hatred on Malekith's face as he gazed up at his enemy. She thought about the waves of power that emanated from him, about the potential he had to destroy everything around him once the Aether was unleashed. A moment later, she realized that she was trembling.

Pulling away, Darcy sniffed and straightened her shoulders, "We need to find Jane."

Taking her hand, Loki helped her walk the winding streets towards the tall spires of the palace. She moved in a fog, her mind turned internally towards what she was going to say to someone she couldn't save. There were faces from across the last few years—grateful, alive faces—of people that she had exorcised, rescued, pulled back from the precipice of death. They swam before her, the successes that had kept her going for so long, had kept her from quitting when things got tough. Those faces paled in comparison to Jane's ashen skin and the light she could see dimming in her bright eyes.

Sounds from the marketplace muffled, her eyes on the ground, her head pulsing with disappointment. With her last ounce of dignity, she fought back tears, absently adjusting the pack on her shoulders. They climbed the stairs, taking a sharp left and running around the perimeter of the building until they reached the back hallways. Loki pushed through a set of double doors and Darcy began to recognize the patterns on the floor. They were in the familial apartments.

Before she could gather herself, Darcy was standing next to the Queen's private rooms. Loki, without hesitation, pulled her inside, closing the door behind them. Darcy let her eyes lift to gaze across the room. Jane was laid on a low platform in the center of the room, Belinda leaning over her with a soft cloth running down Jane's skin. August sat nearby, knees pulled up to her chest as she leaned against the wall. Frigga was talking lowly with Thor on the balcony. She turned, spying them both.

"Ah," she called out, moving gracefully back into the room, "What news?"

Loki swallowed audibly and Darcy had to drop her head, unable to meet his mother's gaze.

Wordlessly, Frigga folded her hands in front of her, looking to her eldest son. Thor crossed his massive arms, his eyes on Jane.

"We must allow Malekith to pull it from her," he intoned lowly, eyes closing in defeat.

From by the wall, August growled, "You don't know that he wouldn't kill her in the process."

Thor was visibly angry, thunder rumbling in the distance, "We have no other choice."

August pushed to standing, her jaw set. She paced forward, her palm gesturing to Jane, "She is a pawn to him, a weapon. You can't hand her over."

"I will do what is necessary to save her life," Thor replied evenly. "You'll not question me here."

Lip curling, August barked, "The hell I won't." Then, turning she addressed Frigga, "Let me try. I reckon I got enough oomph to get it out at least."

Frigga tilted her head to the side, "Even if you could remove the poison, it would eat at you, kill you just the same."

August tossed her hair, hands on her hips. Before she could respond, Loki stepped forward.

"We can lock it away as we did before. Surely a cask can be found—or made."

Frigga smiled, her eyes on August, "There is no convincing you otherwise, I presume."

Shrugging, August announced, "Nah."

Glancing at her son, Frigga acquiesced, "Loki, go to the armory. There is a pedestal containing a bowl of small puzzle pieces. Bring it here."

Loki's cloak whipped out as he turned and strode from the room, leaving Darcy staring at Jane's closed eyes, her even breathing. She didn't quite look worse than when she'd seen her last, but there was a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead. Pushing down her shame, she stepped forward and dropped to sit opposite Belinda.

"How is she?"

Belinda pursed her lips, "Not great. I'm doing what I can, but this thing is strong."

"She has been a great help," Frigga offered before stepping away to a large wardrobe filled with what looked like various magical objects.

Darcy touched Jane's arm, flinching at the cool temperature. She leaned down, "I'm so sorry, Jane."

Head turning towards the sound of her voice, Jane's eyes opened. They were dark, a red glint casting thickly over the lenses. She blinked up at Darcy, not really seeing.

"Darcy," Jane breathed.

"I'm here," Darcy choked, "I'm here, Jane."

The tears that had threatened to fall since she got back finally fell over the rim of her eyes, dropping to the blanket below.

Jane smiled, "I'm fine."

"You are not," Darcy countered, wiping angrily at her eyes. "But you will be. August is going to try to pull the Aether out of you."

From above, August cocked a hip, "Probably best to just treat it like a band aid."

Chuckling, Jane waved a hand, "I'll defer to your medical opinion."

August scoffed, "Best to leave that to the mouse, here."

At this, Belinda rolled her eyes, rinsing out the cloth in her hands and pressing it to Jane's forehead, "I'm not a doctor."

"Better'n one," August declared with finality, folding her arms across her chest.

Darcy shook her head, "Thank you for trying, Belinda."

With a nod, Belinda held her hand above the water bowl near her, steam rising from it as the spell swirled downwards. Darcy could smell the soft scent of herbs wafting from it. Belinda dipped the cloth into the water, running it along Jane's arms.

The door opened and Loki stepped inside, carrying the bowl Firgga referenced. He strode purposefully over to a side table and set it down. Frigga approached it, picking up the pieces and holding them to the light. The outside of each piece was a shining silver, the inside glinting in a pale opal.

"This will do nicely," she said with a little nod. "August, are you ready?"

The tiny woman pulled her hair back, "Always."

Darcy rose, Belinda mirroring the movement, handing off the water bowl to Thor. He took it without question, stepping back and away.

"What do you need of me?"

Frigga gestured to a bundle of sticks and herbs near the platform, "Light it, and let the smoke fill the air around her."

While Thor worked to swish around the strangely smelling herbs, Frigga pieced together the small object. It formed an egg of sorts, the pieces sealing together and glowing in the cracks once it was assembled. Darcy eyed it, thinking of the orb containing the Other down in the depths of Shield's basement.

The glowing egg was handed rather unceremoniously off to August, who held it aloft for a moment, examining.

"You sure this'll hold?"

Frigga shrugged elegantly, "As much as I am sure you can pull the Aether from Lady Jane."

Darcy wondered briefly if this was a subtle jab, but dismissed it quickly, when Frigga urged her forward. Loki stepped to her side, Belinda to his right, Frigga completing the circle. August was ushered to sit next to Jane on the platform, still holding the egg.

"Now what?"

Frigga lifted both hands, "We create a circle of protective magic while August reaches in to grasp the Aether and draw it forth. It won't go easily, August. You'll need to be firm with it."

August's smile was nearly devious, "I can handle that."

Darcy, not knowing what else to do, lifted her hands and let her power loose, connecting with the other spell workers. The room darkened momentarily before brightening intensely, the air sizzling. Below, August waited a moment before setting the egg aside, her hands resting against Jane's pale cheeks. Darcy's mouth tightened as she waited, ready for chaos and catastrophe.

For a while, nothing happened except the continued pulse of magic slowly filling the room, reaching from floor to ceiling. Darcy's brow drew together as she wondered about August's strength. Over the years, August had been known to work minor miracles, to blast through enemies with ease. It barely registered that this could finally be one opponent August couldn't best.

Slowly, the feeling in the room changed, the air growing heavy and dark. Darcy instinctively strengthened the spell she was casting, her focus on Jane's face. From her nostrils and mouth oozed a dark red fog that looked as if it was clinging to Jane body. August adjusted her weight, saying something so low that Darcy couldn't quite make it out. Jane seemed to be regaining her focus, her hands flying up to grasp August's wrists. Eyes wide, Jane seemed to responding to August, as if answering questions.

The oozing ick of the Aether floated upwards until it was suspended in full. August released Jane, her face a mask of determination as she reached for the egg. Again, Darcy strengthened her spell, her anxiety growing the longer the Aether was free.

"Okay, you little shit," August murmured, holding up the egg, "Get on in."

The Aether seemed to think about it, pausing mid air above Jane's chest. Every occupant in the room stiffened when is moved towards the egg, an indrawn breath. Then, without preamble and with not a little bit of speed, it dove over August's head, hitting Belinda in the chest. The circle broke completely, her body thrown into the far wall where she landed in a heap. Her long black hair fell forward, covering her face and she didn't look like she was breathing.

August was up and running before Darcy could blink, sliding on her knees to land at Belinda's side. She grasped Belinda's shoulders and turned her over, pushing the strands away from her face.

"Belinda," she whispered, "Girl, wake up."

Darcy approached warily, her eyes scanning the room for remnants of the Aether. Seeing nothing, she turned her attention back to Belinda.

"She okay?"

August looked up at her, eyes flashing, "Does she look okay?"

Darcy held up both hands defensively, "Look, I'm just asking."

Belinda stirred, her eyes squinting. Darcy drew back with a sharp yelp—the darkness had sunken right into Belinda's body, the change immediate. Belinda was barely breathing now, her body completely limp.

"I don't understand," August muttered, "It took Jane days to get like this."

Frigga was at Belinda's side, a movement that Darcy barely caught, "The Aether is stronger now."

"And she's weak," August replied, her mouth turned down. "She doesn't have the power to stop this."

Darcy looked to Loki, who had picked up the egg. He stood next to his kneeling brother, whose attention was on Jane, hand running over her hair. She felt guilt well up inside her for feeling grateful for Jane's life. Returning her eyes to Belinda, Darcy chastised herself. Belinda's life was not worth more than Jane's, but to Darcy… Darcy couldn't help but to feel relief.

Pushing away the feeling to look at more closely later, Darcy watched as August reached for Belinda's cheeks. Immediately, she was creating a circle of protective spells. As soon as August touched Belinda's skin, she was hurtled the few feet to the wall where she slid down to the floor.

Belinda looked unharmed and August was laughing.

"Holy shit," she crowed, "That was insane."

Darcy rubbed at her eyes, "This isn't the time for jokes, August."

Waving her off, August rolled to her feet, shaking out her limbs. Darcy watched for a moment before crouching near Belinda. Frigga was casting little spells over the body, the power filling Darcy's nostrils. She huffed a little, blowing air to clear them.

"This is fortuitous," Frigga said, moving to stand.

Darcy looked up at the queen, a question written clearly in her expression.

"Boys," Frigga called out, "A little help, my loves. We need to get her to the cells."

Thor stood, "Mother?"

"She's volatile," Frigga explained, "As with most Earth Mothers not yet grown into their powers."

"You can't be serious," August blurted out, "Belinda? An Earth Mother?"

Frigga nodded, "She would be dead by now, strong as the Aether had become, if she weren't."

Loki threw up his arms, "We went around almost the entire universe in search and she was standing right here."

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Darcy bit out, sighing deeply.

Frigga shook her head, "An honest mistake. None of her power had been activated, though I'm sure it's going to wake shortly, if only to protect Belinda from the worst of the Aether. She must be taken to the cells, to protect us all and to protect herself."

"Protect herself?" August drawled lightly, nearly a threat in her voice.

Turning, Frigga clasped her hands together, "When she wakes, Belinda will be buried under the weight and power of the Aether. We will be lucky if she doesn't kill us all the second she stands upright."

Darcy glanced around the room, "Well, hell."

**Is that a plot twist? I think its a plot twist. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Last chapter, dear readers.**

Darcy sat on a bench outside of the dungeon—that was the only way she could conceptualize of the lines of cells in which Belinda has been deposited—with her head on her palms. Next to her, August sulked, arms crossed. They had been there the better part of an hour, waiting for Belinda to finally regain consciousness. Frigga has asked that they remain outside of the hallway containing most of the cells so that Belinda's mental state could be examined once she woke. There were guards standing just inside the closed doors, waiting. All in all, it was a strange situation to be in.

"This is ridiculous," August murmured, one small foot bouncing in agitation. Darcy could see the lines of tension in her body, the clear need to up and moving—doing. August was not one to sit idly when things needed to be done. This was a rare occasion where her brute strength and stubbornness could not push past the barriers in front of her.

Darcy nodded, "Complete bullshit."

A pause, "We could probably incapacitate the guard."

Sighing, Darcy honestly thought about it, about knocking the guy out quietly and going to her teammate. It would be easy, she thought, just to get inside and see what Belinda looked like. The ashen skin flashed in her mind, the rolling eyes, the dead expression. Her skin crawled, remembering.

"We'd probably get deported back to Earth," She commented finally.

August snorted, "Not such a bad idea. This place is… not right."

"Something about the gravity," Darcy explained lightly, remembering the heavy feeling from her first visit. "It messes with you."

Nodding, August examined her nails, chewed nearly to the quick, "So, about that incapacitation."

Darcy shook her head, "I can't do that. I'm supposed to be some kind of ambassador soon. Would totally fuck up my first impression."

Dropping her head back to the wall, August looked to the ceiling, "We can't just wait around."

The sun had dropped behind the horizon, leaving soft moonlight to slowly take over, stars and constellations she didn't recognize emerging from the darkness. Time seemed to stretch on, yawning forth with intolerable slowness. Pulling the Aether from Belinda could kill her, letting it lie could drive her insane and (possibly) kill her. Their options were more limited now than they had been that morning with Jane laying on the platform.

"I don't know what to do," Darcy said to no one in particular, merely voicing the thought that been rolling around since that day standing in an empty parking lot, Jane having been teleported to Asgard, leaving her in the rain.

August leaned forward so that her weight was braced on her elbows, "This is such bullshit."

"Absolutely ridiculous," Darcy intoned with a small smile. Then, "What do you think of Belinda being the Earth Mother?"

Shrugging, August shifted her weight a little, "Agnes talked a little about her—I'm gonna ask her about it when we get back—but, to be honest, I wasn't paying much attention."

Looking at August, Darcy edged, "Do you think she'll make it?"

The small woman drew in a breath, thinking, "I hope so."

Darcy rubbed at her tired eyes, "I don't even know anything about her… who're her parents, what does she do in her spare time, what kind of food does she like… Important things."

August's gaze was far away, "Her parents' names are Eric and Georgia, she has a little brother named Kyle. They live in Nebraska. She likes to organize. Fuck, you should see her room, so clean you could eat off the floors. She likes any food you can dip bread in."

Taken aback, Darcy studied August, taking in the hair that was now braided down her back, the slumped shoulders, the tension in her hands, "How do you know all this?"

August looked up at her as if the answer was obvious, "We're friends, kind of."

"Kind of," Darcy repeated softly.

"Yeah," August answered, "Kind of friends."

"Oh," was all Darcy could say back, suddenly finding her attention drawn away, embarrassed. August was a private person, keeping to her cabin in Kentucky when she wasn't on missions, the exact details of her past and how she came to be the Cap's lover untold. Darcy guessed that a betrayal such as August had experienced would do that to a person. But, Belinda was far more of a mystery, rarely speaking much, but keeping up with the ins and outs of the team through telecommunications. She was the eyes in the sky, the research analyst, the woman behind the computer when the team moved on larger missions. Darcy could hear her small voice calling out directives and guidance as if she were still wearing her ear piece.

"God, this sucks," Darcy groaned, slapping her hands on her thighs.

"Total suckage," August agreed, standing and pacing a few steps away.

A crack sounded throughout the hallway, following by a scream that was so incredibly familiar. Darcy didn't even take the time to look at August before she was pushing through the doors and into the dungeon, eyes flicking around to figure out what was happening.

Belinda was standing in the middle of her cell, the golden pane that separated her from Darcy shaking as it attempted to keep its occupant at bay. Belinda dropped to her knees, her head in her hands, another scream ripping through her. Darcy ran up, stopping short of the glimmering wall, hands uselessly flailing. Beside her, August rushed forward and pivoted, throwing back her arm as she brushed the spelled wall.

"The fuck is this shit?"

Darcy gritted her teeth, "Magical barrier."

Belinda screamed for a third time, power flying out in every direction, bending the cell wall until it arched outwards. Darcy stood back, wondering if it would snap completely. She drew a glyph on the floor in front of her, wrapping a small protective barrier around herself and August just in case.

"Belinda," August cried out, "Can you hear me?"

Belinda's eyes flashed up, a red film covering the whole of them, glinting metallic in the bright lights. She looked to be in excruciating pain, her face contorted.

"August," she said, dropping to her elbows and groaning, "It hurts."

Behind her, Darcy could hear movement. She turned to see Malekith standing at the edge of his cell, watching carefully. At the far end sat Big and Ugly, held still by Thor's hammer. She waited a moment, assessing that he wouldn't be adding to the threat in the room, before putting her attention back on Belinda.

The screams came at intermittent intervals, Belinda falling to her side and convulsing. Frigga entered the room in a flurry of fabric and long strides. Behind her, Loki kept watch, a silent guard.

Frigga stood for a moment, watching Belinda's pain. Her hands clenched into fists, out of rage or sorrow, Darcy really didn't know.

"We have to do something," Darcy announced.

Frigga shook her head, speaking in the Universal Standard, "We cannot let her out. If she attacks… she will start with the most powerful in the room." A slight gesture indicated August standing nearby, her attention fully on Belinda, her petite body shaking with restraint.

Darcy, taking the Queen's lead, switched to the Standard, "Then let someone go in, let someone try to help her."

Frigga's jaw clenched, "I cannot risk your life, nor the life of your friend."

A voice sounded from behind, a thick accent sounding out words in Universal Standard that, truly, surprised the ever living shit out of Darcy.

"I will go. I will help her."

Frigga spun on her heel, a sneer on her regal face, "At what price?"

Malekith shrugged, "Release Algrim."

"Absolutely not," was Loki's reply.

"Son," Frigga intoned in warning. Then, "All you require is that we release your friend? Not yourself?"

There was a beat of hesitation before Malekith nodded.

Frigga smiled in that genial way that Darcy was starting to think was how she got her way most of the time, "Loki, bring Thor to us."

Loki left with clear reluctance, leaving a silence to permeate the room. Frigga moved closer to Malekith's cell.

"How will you help?"

Malekith raised a brow, "I have the power to pull the Aether out of her."

Darcy snorted, "And do what with it?"

His expression remained stony, yet somehow half amused, "Return it to its rightful place."

Frigga pulled the egg from her robe, "I think not."

August, having looked from person to person for the last few minutes, snarked, "Anyone ever tell y'all that speakin' another language around someone who _can't understand you_ is rude?"

Darcy laughed, then explained the plan to August in English.

August shook her head, "Bad idea."

Shrugging, Darcy sighed, "It's all we got."

It was then that Darcy noticed the eerie stillness of the room—Belinda's screams had stopped. She turned, seeing the girl crouched in the center of the cell, looking every bit a predator. Her lips were peeled back, her gaze fierce and angry. Darcy took a step back, unnerved at how changed she was, how the Aether had completely transformed her from this meek thing to something unnatural.

Loki returned with Thor in tow and all was explained in quick order. Thor made to enter the cell, and August followed right behind, stopping him short.

"Let me just do something first," she said lowly, marching up to the great hulking beast.

She looked down at him, paralyzed by the hammer, nailed down to the floor helplessly.

"I heard what you are," She drawled, "And I know that as soon as he gets this thing up off you, you'll wreak havoc on this room." She pointed to Belinda, "Now, that girl needs help and your commander guy is going to help her. I don't need you fucking all this up, understand?"

Algrim, as Malekith called him, nodded.

August's smile was devious, "Good, but just in case you change your mind."

Crouching, August ran her hand down the length of his torso, feeling around, pausing with a soft 'aha'. Then, she plunged her hand underneath the rocky skin, yanking backwards. Aloft, she held a glowing rock, magic pouring from it. Dropping the stone, August held her hand to the wound, growling something to Algrim. He looked up at her in fear before he passed out.

If Darcy hadn't been thoroughly trained in magic by that point, she would have been amazed as the beast transformed into this long, lean Dark Elf. His rock skin turned to a smooth chocolate brown, hair growing pale.

"Well, shit," Darcy breathed, earning a chuckle from Loki, whom she nudged good-naturedly.

August stood and sauntered away, wiping invisible dust from her hands, "Now you can lift the hammer."

Thor smiled, eyes crinkling, as he leaned down, hauling the hammer from Algrim's body and holding it lightly. He then eyed Malekith, gesturing to Belinda.

"And now for your part of the deal."

Malekith looked mildly irritated, but stepped down out of the cells, grasping the egg on his way to across the hall. Belinda watched him come, palms flexing on the floor. When he moved up and into the cell, she let out an inhuman growl. Darcy felt the hair on her arms rise, feeling a distinct memory of demonic possession fly around her.

Malekith set down the egg, then reached up and unhooked the helmet covering his head. From there, he released the long cape, the neck cowl, gloves, chest plate. Darcy kept looking back and forth between them, watching Belinda's fury ease off into curiosity and wariness. She let Malekith get a little closer, pulling back and away so that he circled her a bit. After a moment, he stopped and crouched down to her level.

Words flowed forth in tones Darcy didn't think a killer like Malekith could make—soft, urgent tones meant to calm and relax. He edged closer, still speaking while Belinda seemed to listen intently, red eyes staring. She held still while he moved just a little forward, fingers bracing his weight on the floor. Darcy realized that she was holding her breath, waiting for something to happen, waiting for Belinda to finally crack under the weight of pure chaos.

Malekith's words slowed, lowered, until each syllable was drawn out in this language that sounded strangely syncopated. Belinda listened intently, head tilted to the side as if trying to decipher what he was saying. Her muscles had relaxed enough that she no longer looked as if she'd kill whatever was nearest to her. Actually, she looked just a little bit drugged.

Eyes narrow, Darcy reached out gently and touched the area surrounding them, feeling the light mist of Malekith's power. She hissed, realizing that he was likely hypnotizing her. As she moved forward, Loki grabbed her arm, holding her still.

"Just wait," he whispered. "She's still unstable."

Darcy made an indignant sound, her brows drawing together as she forced herself to still.

Belinda let Malekith brush his fingers down her arm, until he had a grip around her elbow, his knees sliding across the floor to sit just beneath her bent legs. She allowed him to grasp her chin and turn her head very slightly. She allowed him to lean closely. And then she was kicking out, flinging him across the room. He hit the wall so hard that chunks of rock fell to the floor, loosened by the blow.

Malekith was up and rolling as the Aether's power was concentrated on him. He moved like lightning, dodging blows left and right, until he was grappling with Belinda's body. They tussled around, pushing at each other, Belinda snarling. She bit at the exposed skin of his hands, his neck, legs hoisting him up and away. Darcy watched as Malekith approached her a third time, rolling away from a slicing blow, but failing to avoid a spell that was clearly something Belinda remembered from studying under Camilla. It was a low blow, a dirty trick that ripped at Malekith's skin. His torso was flayed open and he was gasping when she crawled over him, wrenching an arm out of the socket and clearly dislocating a hip. The Aether crawled out of her, exposed to the air and readying itself for the killing blow. Malekith's blood seeped towards them, in an ever growing puddle.

Having had enough, Darcy rolled up and into the cell, grabbing the egg and opening it. She cringed at the piercing scream Belinda emitted, back arching as her body was lifted up and off the ground, the Aether pouring forth.

Darcy held on as it filled the egg, the metal growing hot and burning at her skin. She grit her teeth, giving a scream of her own as the last of the Aether was contained, the egg sealing itself closed and glowing red in her palms. Her breath left her for a moment, her body falling to her knees.

Loki was at her side, shouting at her as her eyes blurred. Fingers that wiped at her face came back wet and she realized that she was crying. But, the ragged sorrow that sounded in the room wasn't hers. To be honest, Darcy had cried more forcefully at Bambi.

Belinda was folded over the body of Malekith, letting out rage filled cries, her hands trying and failing to stop the blood. A staccato call rang out and Darcy noticed that Algrim was being held back by Thor and another guard, his blue eyes half angry, half bereaved.

Darcy handed the egg off to Frigga and stood, hesitant to approach Belinda.

"I didn't mean to," she kept saying, a mantra that was interrupted only by hiccups. Then, Belinda turned doe-like eyes to Darcy, her mouth quivering, "I never meant…"

Looking down, Belinda's face relaxed, her hand touching Malekith's cheek as the light started to go from his eyes. Darcy swallowed back a lump, knowing that he really wasn't worth saving, but feeling sorry for Belinda. Her first kill outside of the run of the mill demon and she wasn't in control. The Aether had taken her very psyche.

"I'm going to help you," Belinda said, leaning down so that she could speak into Malekith's ear.

He didn't seem to hear her, breaths coming in and out raggedly, hands and legs twitching.

Then, Belinda began to chant lowly, filling the room with this golden power, a light emanating from her body. For the second time that night, Darcy took a step back out of fear, watching as Belinda's power fell out of her body, a purple toned gold that rippled around her and the body below, growing more intense until Darcy had to cover her eyes, heat enveloping her.

When it finally died down, Belinda was laying across Malekith's body, the blood slowly congealing on the floor. August was suddenly moving, pulling Belinda off him and rolling her to the side. She held her fingers to Belinda's pulse.

"I got a heartbeat," she said. Glancing to the side and shrugging before holding her hand to Malekith's neck, "This one's got a heartbeat, too."

Algrim was released—possibly out of sheer awe—and he was at Malekith's side, looking him over.

"I don't understand," he said in Standard, "He is healed."

Darcy smiled, "Belinda's nice like that."

"But we are not," Loki sounded out evenly. "You are still criminals."

Algrim stood, "What are you going to do? Execute him a second time?"

"Malekith has been offered mercy once tonight," Loki reminded him, nodding to Belinda's unconscious form. "It is the only mercy he will be afforded."

Frigga moved forward, that strange smile on her mouth, "In light of your commander's sacrifice, I will reverse Asgard's decision to execute."

From around the room, voices raised in protest. Frigga merely lifted a hand, staying them.

"But, you are both exiled, along with all of your race, back to the planet from which you came."

Beside her, Loki smiled, "Where you will breathe your poisoned air until you expire."

Several hours later, Darcy lay in Loki's bed, thinking about Belinda laid up in their infirmary, Malekith carried off back to Svartalfheim. She wondered if the Aether would have any after effects, if either Jane of Belinda would be haunted by the experience. Jane looked fine, if tired, when she went to check on her, and Belinda's color had returned. August was on guard sitting next to her, eyeing the staff of the medical unit with a not so subtle threat in her expression.

The bed dipped, Loki joining her. Darcy looked over at him, watching as he leaned over to touch the small lamp on the nightstand, the room dropped into darkness. She laid in silence for a while, mind still whirring from the events of the last few days. Finally, unwilling to keep her thoughts unsaid any longer, she turned to Loki.

"Is it ever over?"

In the dim light, she could see his profile turn to her, "Hmm?"

Darcy swallowed, "Is it ever over? The danger?"

He rolled to his side, propping his head up on his palm, "No, not really."

She thought about August, sitting next to Belinda's bed. She thought about how August was so adamant that she not return to the Tower, that she stay out of the business of the Guardians once and for all. She thought about how August had been made to eat her words. Darcy, it seemed, was destined to spend the rest of her life embroiled in the unseen battle between good and evil because she _cared._ She cared about Jane, about Belinda, about the fates of Asgard and Earth. There was no way for her not to care—so she would fight on.

"So, about this engagement," Darcy drawled, leaving her dark thoughts where they were most helpful—at the back of her mind to be picked at when she was bored in the lobby of the doctor's office.

Loki's smile was wide and he rolled over to touch the lamp again, casting the room in an amber glow. Darcy sat up, pulling on her glasses so that she could clearly see what he was doing. His back was to her, his lean body bent over the lip of a drawer at the bottom of his dresser. She admired the view while she waited, picking absently at a loose thread in the bedspread.

Finally, Loki rose and, holding whatever it was that he went to retrieve behind his back, approached her. Sitting down on the bed, Loki carefully adjusted his limbs, holding out his left hand. Darcy leaned over, spotting the shining golden object in his palm.

"Oh shit," she breathed.

With a small chuckle, he took her left hand, slipping the band over her third finger, the twisting gold setting emphasizing a sizable emerald stone settled into a halo of amethyst. She stared down at it, unable to speak.

"I hope that this is the proper amount of bling," Loki said, his tentative tone adorable.

Darcy squealed and threw her arms around his shoulders, holding him close. The reality of their engagement finally hitting her to its fullest, her joy bubbling up.

"It's perfect," she answered, as she pulled away to look more closely at the ring.

Loki touched the ends of her hair, "I'm glad. I should think that anything bigger would require a small wheelbarrow for transport."

Darcy snorted and swatted at his arm, "Hush, you. Let me bask in my happiness."

"Are you happy?" He asked, laying down upon the pillows and pulling her atop him.

She sighed, "Absolutely." Then, "You know I have to tell my mother about this."

Loki groaned, one hand raising to touch his temples. Their last meeting hadn't gone quite as well as Darcy expected. Her mother had been waiting for ages for Darcy to get married and have children, the length of their courtship taking a toll on her patience. During dessert, Loki had been asked when he was going to settle down and make an honest woman out of her. Darcy had quickly shoved half a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth so that he wouldn't speak about Asgard's complicated courtship rituals and how she should be grateful he hadn't adhered to the year of celibacy that the initiation process required. Darcy did not need Shield debriefing her family and having them sign NDAs, thank you very much.

"It's not going to be a big deal," Darcy placated him, rubbing at his stomach.

Loki cast her a sidelong glance, "And next she'll be asking for grandchildren."

She came up short, "You don't want children?"

He signed, body relaxing, "Sometime soon, but not now. I want to enjoy what we have before we start looking at the next chapter of our lives."

Darcy traced one of the buttons of his shirt with her thumb, "Are we going to have a lot of chapters?"

His arms wrapped around her tightly, hands gathering her close, "As many as you want."

"Hell yeah," she breathed.

Darcy Lewis: Ambassador extraordinaire, wife, kick ass Guardian, poly-sci major, and Shield agent was definitely looking forward to the many chapters of her life that seemed suddenly before her.

**I'm looking at writing Belinda's story next-Queen's Gambit. I'm fairly certain this will be the last in the series, but who really knows?**


End file.
